Keijo (競女), also known as Hip Whip Girl, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Daichi Sorayomi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from July 2013 to April 2017, with its chapters collected in 18 tankōbon volumes. It follows a gymnast participating in a fictional women-only contact sport, where players use only their breasts and buttocks to tackle opponents. An anime television series adaptation produced by Xebec aired from October to December 2016.
Contents
Plot
In an alternate reality, the women-only competitive sport keijo becomes a fad in Japan. The rules for the game are simple: the match is held in a swimming pool stadium. Participants must stand atop circular platforms floating in a pool, referred to as "lands". They can defeat their opponents by knocking them off their respective platforms and into the water, using only their breasts or buttocks. The sport attracts millions of viewers across the country and boasts a lavish prize pool. This prompts many aspiring athletes from different sports to try to succeed in keijo.
Raised in a poor family, Nozomi Kaminashi, a gifted gymnast, enters a keijo training academy after graduating from high school and hopes to earn a fortune.
Characters
Nozomi Kaminashi (神無 のぞみ, Kaminashi Nozomi)
Voiced by: Lynn (Japanese); Amber Lee Connors (English)
An athletic, cheerful, and energetic girl wishing to become the richest player. Her fighting type is "Infighter". Her technique, the "Vacuum Butt Cannon", can send anyone or anything far. She is sometimes a troublemaker and occasionally gets stuck in tough situations. Despite her initial loss, she learns all she can about keijo. She has dark blue eyes and a long hair, and wears a white ribbon.
Sayaka Miyata (宮田 さやか, Miyata Sayaka)
Voiced by: M.A.O (Japanese); Felecia Angelle (English)
A former judo champion, a promising recruits, and the fastest player. Her fighting type is "Outfighter". Despite her classmates' antics, she is a caring friend to her roommates and solves problems with them. She has dark blue eyes and a blue ribbon tied in her short, white hair. Her father disapproves of her decision to play keijo instead of judo, but accepts it when she participates a match in the East–West War event.
Kazane Aoba (青葉 風音, Aoba Kazane)
Voiced by: Kaede Hondo (Japanese); Alexis Tipton (English)
A shy resident of Hiroshima with a dialect and self-conscious. Her ponytail moves when she is addressed or feeling emotional. Her right hand is sensitive and can copy her opponents' abilities by feeling up their buttocks, an ability she calls "Scanning Hand". In addition, she learns a strategy with special abilities from her friends as the situation demands in the East–West War. Her fighting style is "Counter". She has a brown eyes and a ponytail.
Non Toyoguchi (豊口 のん, Toyoguchi Non)
Voiced by: Saori Ōnishi (Japanese); Sarah Wiedenheft (English)
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Daichi Sorayomi, Keijo!!!!!!!! was serialized in Shogakukan's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from July 24, 2013, to April 26, 2017. Shogakukan collected the chapters in eighteen tankōbon volumes, released from November 18, 2013, to July 18, 2017.
Anime
An anime television series adaptation produced by Xebec was announced in February 2016. It was directed by Hideya Takahashi, written by Takao Kato, composed by Hayato Matsuo, and had the characters designed by Keiya Nakano. It aired from October 6 to December 22, 2016. The opening theme song is "Dream × Scramble!", performed by Airi, while the ending theme song is "Fantas/Hip Girlfriends!", performed by Lynn, M.A.O, Kaede Hondo, and Saori Ōnishi. The series was released on six Blu-ray and DVD home video volumes, and each volume includes an original video animation episode.
The anime was streamed by Crunchyroll and Funimation, the latter of which streamed an English dub. After Sony acquired Crunchyroll, the English dub was added to the service. Medialink licensed the series in Asia-Pacific.
Other media
The video game Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 has a crossover promotion with Keijo!!!!!!!!, with in-game swimsuits based on the series.
Reception
In November 2016, Crunchyroll revealed Keijo!!!!!!!! as the most viewed anime series in the United States. It was the most popular in nine states, with only Yuri on Ice and Drifters, being most viewed in more states. In 2017, fans in Portugal were in the planning stages for a defictionalized Keijo sport league. The rules of the defictionalized version were modified and protective gear for the breasts, rear, and thighs were added to make the sport "safer and more realistic". A proof of concept video showed a match in action, and the league planned to scout for interested parties and venues for play.