What They Say:
The first years’ welcoming race begins. Sakamichi is excited to race with Imaizumi and Naruko again, but…
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
In anime, we love when the hero is able to rise above the things that hold him back. Maybe in a fantasy show, his weapons aren’t the strongest or his magic isn’t the most powerful, but he finds some way to beat the villain who is clearly superior. In a fighting show, our hero sometimes can power up or develop a new technique that helps him beat a seemingly undefeatable opposition.
Rarely, we see an instance where our hero, with what he currently has, just can’t do it. And that’s what makes this particular episode of Petal so good. The first year students begin their 60 kilometer race to determine if they’ll be part of the racing team’s first string cyclists or not. The race consists of four parts, and for people who fall behind or don’t seem like they’ll be able to finish the race, a van will be following the cyclists to pick them up.
This leaves Onoda somewhat skittish as he is fearful he won’t complete the race, while Naruko and Imaizumi don’t seem bothered in the slightest, knowing that they will be leaps and bounds above the other firsts years and are mostly concerned with racing each other.
The race starts off with a simple warm-up where nobody is suppose to pass Naruko or Imaizumi as they set the pace, but one of the first years get jittery and breaks rank, which may draw a disqualification later. Imaizumi reveals that he and Naruko are going as slow as they can for the warm-up, and that the other first years shouldn’t tire themselves out. The race is long, filled with flats, hills, slopes, all winding and straight that will be difficult to navigate if the right pacing isn’t maintained.
Back to what I was saying earlier about the hero just not being able to cut it with what he has – Onoda is able to keep pace for a while on his mommy bike, but eventually falls behind as his vehicle is just not suited to the task. As Naruko puts it, “In baseball terms, he’s standing in the batters box with a toy bat.” It’s like a Ferrari being compared to Ford Focus. Both are cars, and both will get you to where you’re trying to get, but if you’re trying to race as fast as you can, the Focus isn’t even going to be a consideration over the Ferrari.
But sometimes, a good old fashioned upgrade is just what the doctor orders. Mangling his bike accidentally out of fear of being picked up, the captain of the team and Miki present Onoda with a used, but in great condition racing bicycle to call his own. Several minutes behind and with his spirits renewed, Onoda surprises everyone by handling the racing bicycle with ease as he zooms off towards the other first years to get back in the race!
In Summary:
Sometimes, while we love a hero getting stronger or pushing himself beyond his limits to unlock some hidden potential, there’s always the possibility that the hero doesn’t have what he needs to get the job done. You wouldn’t dig through a mountain with a fork right? And the bicycle captain, and Miki both realize this. We’re teased with this racing bicycle for Onoda at the beginning of the episode when Miki’s brother is held up by traffic, but the subtle understanding that Onoda, in order to compete with the other first years needs an upgrade in his racing equipment says a lot about how this show chooses to take itself. Everyone knows that Onoda has some natural talent on a bicycle, and everyone knows that while he isn’t a top-notch racer, he has some very good habits that he’s developed over the years. Now he just needs the right vehicle to bring all that together.
It’s smart writing, and continues to illustrate while Yowamushi Pedal is more than just the typical high school sports anime. To be honest, I don’t think Onoda is going to win the First Year Welcome Race – but I do think he’s going to catch up, and that he’s going to show he wants to be on the team. The really character driven nature of Onoda’s reasons for wanting to be on the team and to prove himself are another great example of how this show breaks what seem to be the norms for these sorts of things. Onoda wanted friends to talk about anime with and to visit Akihabara with, but he’s made friends simply by riding his bicycle, and sees a world that he’s never really been aware of. This excites him, and he wants to continue to be friends with and to grow closer to people like Miki, Imaizumi, and Naruko. It’s a very organic and character-driven story, and it makes Onoda a great character. He’s equal parts socially-akward otaku and teenager who is learning about himself and the world. And as I’ve said before – that’s rare in anime these days. And it’s a great thing about this show that continues to leave it at the #1 slot of my “Must Watch” list each week.
If you haven’t started watching it by now, then start. It’s one of the best of the season and certainly going to be worth tuning in for each week. It’s funny, it’s cheerful, it’s dramatic, all with great and interesting characters backed up by good designs and high quality animation. In short – it’s what we want all anime to be.
Grade: A-
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Intel Alienware laptop, Windows 7, 25” HP2509m screen at 1920×1080 resolution
