SK8 the Infinity became a hit at the start of 2021. This Studio Bones anime follows the lives of different skateboarders who participate in late-night competitions at an abandoned mine. The group, known as "S," lacks rules during races, allowing competitors to do whatever it takes to win. At S, nothing is better than earning fame through successful races.
The main characters Reki Kyan and Langa Hasegawa both struggle with different types of loneliness. Reki has never felt that his skills have been recognized, while Langa has only just moved to Japan after the passing of his father. The two meet and instantly click. Reki secures Langa a position at the skate shop he works at. They make a delivery to a customer at S, but after some complications, Langa ends up skateboarding for the first time in a race against one of Reki’s rivals, Shadow.
How the Family Found Each Other
With the use of Langa’s past snowboarding skills, he becomes popular among S members. Reki and Langa go to S frequently and meet many others who make an impact on their lives. A young skating prodigy, Miya Chinen, is the first to be added to Reki and Langa’s group. After hearing about Langa’s first time at S, Miya challenges him to a race. Due to becoming envious of his talents, Miya’s friends abandoned him. It isn’t until Miya sacrifices his win to Langa by stopping to warn him of the risky architecture he is skating on that Miya realizes just how lonely he is -- and that talent can actually get in the way of friendships. Reki promises Miya that no matter how talented Miya may become, Reki will never abandon him.
The welcoming of Miya into their group is just the beginning of their growing family. At the end of the race between Langa and Miya, the founder, Adam, appears. He insults Miya’s skills and turns his attention to Langa, an obsession boiling for the new skater. Angered by Adam’s comments, Reki challenges Adam to a race. Two of the other founders who were once friends of Adam -- Cherry Blossom and Joe -- become mentors for the younger boys after learning of Reki’s challenge. Even after the race, Cherry and Joe stick around the three as the skating world of S gets turned upside down by Adam’s desires for Langa. An old rival, Shadow, gets pulled into the mix, providing support for the crew as they struggle with the risks Adam puts them through.
Together, Reki, Langa, Miya, Cherry, Joe and Shadow suffer ups and downs in the world of S but are there to help one another when they need it the most. By supporting each other, the boys are able to push the group to learn more and can stop someone when they take things too far. At the beginning of SK8 the Infinity, all the boys are lonely in different ways, but they come together to fight a common enemy and encourage each other to continue pushing for their dreams. By the end, they become a family who will do anything it takes to see every member succeed.