My husband Marvin and I usually don't watch anime together, since our genre preferences can vary (though my preferences do include the few that he likes). But we do make the occasional exception, especially recently since he ends up watching a few episodes when he gets home after work and I'm already in bed trying to find a position comfortable for the gestating jellybean in my uterus (more comfortable for the baby, less kicking involved and more viewing for me).
Recently, Marvin's become fascinated with watching sports anime. Which was how we ended up watching last year's fall offerings Yowamushi Pedal and the still-ongoing Ace of Diamond, covering two very different sports that I know nothing about. Needless to say, I found them to be great sources of enjoyable viewing.
Onoda Sakamichi is an anime otaku, taking his passion for the medium to great lengths by riding his mamachari or mommy bike to Akihabara every week. He also rides the bicycle up the school's steep back slope every day, a feat that captures the attention of all-rounder biker Imaizumi Shunsuke, prompting the athlete to challenge Onoda to a race. Imaizumi and bike enthusiast Kanzaki Miki realize that Onoda has great potential as a climber due to his high cadence, and encourages him to join the Sohoku High Bicycle Club even if he already has his sights on reinstating the defunct anime club. Later, he meets sprinter Naruko Shoukichi, who provides him with more cycling experience. Onoda later realizes that he also derives joy from cycling and decides to join the club, aiming to become part of the team in the upcoming Inter-High competition with Imaizumi and Naruko.
It's always interesting to watch well-made sports anime series, because you get to learn about a sport that you normally wouldn't participate in. Even if you choose not to try it out as a physical activity, you still know enough of the basics that you could enjoy the next event featuring that particular sport that you end up watching. Hey, learning without having to resort to practical applications can be fun, too. Aside from the learning opportunity, sports anime are great fun to watch because the quality ones usually feature great characters and exciting action scenes. And Yowamushi Pedal offers both in abundance.
Onoda is a great central character, who embraces every new experience with wide-eyed wonder and a hard-working attitude. Considering that he's new to cycling, Onoda spends a great deal of time trying to catch up to both his teammates and his eventual opponents on the road. Despite a few moments of self-doubt, and even despair, Onoda does derive enjoyment when he's trying to catch up. I spent a great deal of time shouting "Go, Onoda!" at the screen every time he's chasing after another biker in the series, much to my husband's amusement. I don't think I've ever rooted for a sports anime character as much as I have for Onoda. And his penchant for singing "Love Princess Pancake" while riding his bike is all kinds of hilarious and endearing.
The animation for Yowamushi Pedal features striking character designs, helping to distinguish the different characters and helping to define their individual personalities, which is very much apparent in the members of their club. Their disparate appearances and personalities, however, does not deter from the fact that the Sohoku High Bicycle Club is a strong team, not just as cyclists but as a group working together. Onoda gets a lot of support from fellow freshmen Imaizumi and Naruko. Each of them gets a mentor from third year members, all rounder team captain Kinjou Shingo, climber Makishima Yuusuke and sprinter Tadokoro Jin.
The first season of Yowamushi Pedal chronicles Onoda's discovery of cycling, his recruitment in the cycling club, training for and trying out to join the team participating in the Inter High, and his first foray in competitive bicycle racing. All of these different events make for exciting racing sequences and showcase excellent growth for the characters involved.
It's expected that there will be competitors or characters that Onoda and his teammates must defeat, but I was quite surprised to find that Yowamushi Pedal featured a character so abhorrent that I made vocal sounds of disgust every time I saw his face. My recent sports anime viewing, which also include Ace of Diamond, Free! and Haikyuu!!, all feature competitors, but they were mostly just as dedicated as the protagonists in their quest to win whatever high school competition they're participating in. Midousuji Akira of Kyoto Fushimi is of a different ilk altogether, acting like a villain through and through. The manga the anime is adapted from is still ongoing, so I don't know if he will achieve redemption at some point, but for now, his actions are as disturbing as his appearance (I refuse to include a picture of him in this post). I guess the only upside to his existence is that it will be ultra satisfying when Onoda, or anyone for that matter, defeats him.
The second season of Yowamushi Pedal will immediately pick up from the conclusion of the first, with the Sohoku High Bicycle Club members racing to finish first on the second day of the Inter-High competition. By the time it premieres, I've got a newborn to take care of, so I have to figure out how I'm going to watch the episodes as they air.
I might not be sure about how my viewing habits will change, but I'm sure about one thing... I refuse for my child to lay eyes on Midousuji.
Happy viewing!!Labels: Adaptation, Anime, Comedy, Drama, Must-Watch, Sports, TV, Yowamushi Pedal
