Here at RocketNews24 we’re always on the lookout for cases where life meets art, whether it’s characters from video games spliced into real-life falling-over gifs, or animals hanging out with giant fluffy figures at Disneyland. So when we saw this video that’s been dubbed “the anime fall in real life”, we knew it was the one for us.

These two handball players ended up in an awkward position when they collided on the court. Unfortunately for them, the moment – as well as their amused reaction – was captured and replayed in slow motion all over the internet, giving teenage boys the world over plenty to think about and anime fans reason to believe that their preferred medium of entertainment isn’t quite so removed from reality after all…

In the clip from a handball game in Denmark, the two players run into each other and end up accidentally getting a lot closer than expected, much to their mutual amusement. The game’s commentators – and the referee – seem to notice and enjoy what’s going on, too.

Commentors on the video largely fell into one of the three following groups:

1) “It’s just like one of my Japanese animes!”

“Senpai~!” “So the Japanese anime is true!!!” “The Anime FALL IS REAL ….”

Conveniently positioned “accidental” falling like this is an anime trope. Think “oops! I fell on your lips”, but simultaneously more innocent and more sexually suggestive.

2) “Wow, that was actually kinda sexy xD”

“two girls _ _” “Are they married yet?”

Apparently, some people find pretty women touching each other sexy. Who knew?!

3) Hand-what?

“What sport is this? The one they are all playing… not the one the two were playing.” “wtf game is that…volleyball soccer? Women and their fake sports”

The main question many people seem to have, though, is simply: “what sport is this?!” Although handball is an Olympic sport, and popular in continental Europe and parts of Asia, it’s apparently not that well-known in the United States. It’s played by men, too, though! Therefore: not a “fake sport” or a women’s sport (whatever that means anyway).

So there we have it: the key to a viral video, cracked! Falling over + awkwardness + cute girls + boobs. The only thing missing is a cat gif. Although, y’know, it’d be nice if we had some stories about women in sport that didn’t revolve around breasts or underwear. Just sometimes.

▼ “In that moment, it was like everyone else disappeared…”

YouTube

▼ Proof that awkward laughter is the best reaction to most situations.

YouTube

▼ “Quick, pretend nothing happened.”

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Top image: YouTube

[ Read in Japanese ]