Anime Hajime Review: Ladyspo

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Ladyspo. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

In the world of the future, there is Lady Sports. Across the galaxy, teams of athletically-minded women challenge each other to see who is the best of the best. Tennis, soccer, giant robot battles, the type of competition matters not.

In this high action environment, Team Hearts, consisting of Arigetti, Korupi, and Sabina (voiced respectively by Saki Shimada, Akari Uehara, and Suzuna Kinoshita), have been flying around and building a name for themselves. In line with the true meaning of Lady Sports, Team Hearts is willing to take on anyone at any time anywhere.

Regardless of what is played, the spirit of the game must rise above all else. Friendship and teamwork are far more valued than pure talent alone. For that reason, win or lose, as long as a player gives their best, no one can ask for more.

Series Negatives

Oh my god. What an amazing treat this was, and no, there hasn’t been a mistake.

Once upon a time, I gave my impressions on the legendary — nay, the infamous — Mars of Destruction. For those of you who instantly cringed at the mere mention of that name, I understand and sympathize. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it immensely. However, believe me when I say, I enjoyed it because it lived up to its reputation; and then some.

If you are unaware, and without rewriting my entire post on the subject, Mars of Destruction was a masterpiece of s#@$. The story was atrocious; assuming you can consider that jumbled mess a story. The animation was unfinished and outdated even by early 90s standards (significant since the OVA was released in 2005). The soundtrack was taken straight from the public domain, and it was horrifically out of place from beginning to end.

Mars of Destruction was the train wreck of all train wrecks. You couldn’t ask for something lazier, more incompetent, and more bottom-of-the-barrel.

Or could you?

Without exaggeration or hesitation, Mars of Destruction was — technically speaking — the undisputed, worst anime in my entire 400+ catalog of reviews and posts. And just in case you missed it, let me put a little extra, particular emphasis on the word “WAS” in that last sentence.

We have a challenger!

To set the record straight, I have known about Ladyspo since it aired during the 2018 Spring season, and I’ve long debated whether or not I should cover it. Ultimately, I decided to do so because, how are we to appreciate the year’s best without acknowledging its worst? Having now sat through Ladyspo, I do not regret my decision.

Let me repeat myself. This beautiful abomination AIRED — on actual television — in 2018 alongside Megalo Box, Darling in the Franxx, and Wotaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii. It’s almost too fantastical to imagine despite it occurring only a few months prior to this review. The person who looked at Ladyspo and said, “That seems fine, put it out like that,” is the craziest maniac with the steely-ist of gonads.

I would only have been fooling myself had I written a Positive Section to this review. There was nothing of merit to Ladyspo. In fact, one should hardly call this a review at all. If anything, this is an attempt to bring awareness to what lies beyond the unimaginable, as well as to serve as a self-deprecating examination of what I find entertaining.

I had a blast with this show because it was so bad. Never before, in all the anime I’ve sat through, have I felt such an overwhelming sense of utter astonishment; and again, I’ve seen Mars of Destruction.

To explain this seemingly absurd claim, you need to remember that Mars of Destruction has had nearly a decade and a half to build its reputation as the worst anime ever.

To put it as bluntly as I can, Ladyspo is far too fresh, but its time is coming.

So, where do we go from here? What angle do we take to approach this beast?

Regarding the story, I don’t know. It’s that simple. I just don’t know. I don’t know.

I DON’T KNOW. WHAT IN THE EVER LIVING F@#$ WAS THIS?

Halfway through the first episode, I found myself lost in a swirling maze of confusion, randomness, and nonsensical BS. Keep in mind, each episode of Ladyspo was only four minutes. In less time than it takes for a baby to soil its diaper, my brain could no longer comprehend what I was having it watch.

Moving on, how about the characters? Yep, this show sure had those.

How was the “comedy?” I laughed, that’s for damn sure. Too bad I only laughed because this series was the joke.

How were the “science fiction” elements? I do believe there was Space. Also, I recall there being a spaceship.

And Lady Sports? Would you look at that, I just laughed again.

Then, if nothing else, what about the animation? You know what, in one respect, I do have to give Ladyspo some credit. This series gave me the opportunity to try something I have never done. This was the first time I have ever had the chance to review a slideshow. That was not hyperbole, that was an actuality.

The most “animation” in this series about SPORTS (you know sports, the things that require f@#$ing movement) occurred when characters were “talking.” I put “talking” in quotations because if you count out-of-sync lips moving up and down on an otherwise static character model within a tiny thought bubble in the corner of the screen as talking, then mission accomplished Ladyspo.

To go with anything I’ve mentioned, do I have specific examples? Is there a single moment which stood out as the most egregious? Can I point to the solitary element that encapsulated the essence of Ladyspo?

I cannot. Everything about this show was the worst. Everything about this story was broken. Everything about this series was pure, unadulterated garbage.

I’ve got to be honest, even though I said I enjoyed Ladyspo, I could be mistaken. It is very possible this series fried my brain so thoroughly, I couldn’t help but smile.

If you decide to take on Ladyspo after reading this review, you were warned.

Final Thoughts

I’m not trying to be that guy who wants to defend this show by saying it was so bad it was good. No, this was so bad it was bad, and that was what made it fun.

Trash is still trash; it doesn’t matter how spectacular it is. There’s no getting around it. This was — inherently — the absolute worst anime of 2018. If you think you know of one that beats it, try me.

Therefore, instead of giving a recommendation, I’m issuing a challenge.

I dare you to watch Ladyspo completely stone-faced. No laughing, no screaming, no looking away. Just fifty straight minutes of anime at its lowest. Think you can do it?

But these are just my thoughts. What are yours? Have you seen this show? What would be your advice concerning Ladyspo? Leave a comment down below because I would love to hear what you have to say.

And if you liked what you read, be sure to follow me here and on all my social media sites so that you never miss a post or update. Also, please share this review across the internet to help add to the discussion.

I’m LofZOdyssey, and I’ll see you next time.

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