Eve’s body pays for changing her golf swing the day before. But can she win the tournament without rainbow shots?
Episode 22 — “Over the Rainbow”
Hmm.
I enjoyed watching BIRDIE WING make parallels between Leo’s and Eve’s golf shots. Leo’s “explosion” included all the rainbow colors as white light. Leo paid homage to his eternal rival Kazuhiko’s Rainbow Shot by breaking white light into its constituent colors for Eve’s training. We saw how proud he was to see Eve call her fusion shot a “burst” as all the hues remained distinct. Of course, that wasn’t good enough for Leo. All Eve had done was combine the two best golf swings of the earlier generation. For the evolution of golf to continue, Eve should create something outside of Leo’s imagination and memory. Then she did it and sent Leo’s heart over the rainbow! I felt shounen-style training vibes throughout the episode. Eve’s golf evolution makes me curious and impatient to see what Aoi will create from Reiya and Seira’s golf swings.
Eve is still a gambler. That has been a constant part of her personality from BIRDIE WING’s first episode. She takes the path to victory no matter the cost because the winnings will pay the debt. Even when it looked like Eve played conservatively to save par, she merely banked her energy reserves for two shots. And that was the gamble! Because she knew she had only one Rainbow Bullet left for sure. Her secret ace in the hole would secure victory if her body held up for that last Burst. That is the classic shounen battle anime storytelling we should expect from Bandai Namco.
Heh.
Confirmation. The golf ball logo from the prior BIRDIE WING episode belonged to Leo. Leo and Kazuhiko ended their rivalry tied at two matches apiece, with Leo taking the last win with his Bullet Shot Explosion. It’s white! The other girls he trained had red for Rose and orange for Aisha. Leo also confirmed that Alan used to be an underworld golf monster. Even ten years ago, Leo planned on training the next generation of golfers if he couldn’t find the “perfect golf” by the time his body dropped off its peak. Guess who that was. Eve! And she independently called her fusion shot the rainbow version of Leo’s. The logo on the golf ball in the BIRDIE WING opening credits belongs to Eve. Foreshadowing!
Quick flashback to Eve’s crazy plan to change her golf swing during a tournament. The rainbow swing adds accuracy, while all the rainbow color bullets add distance. It’s so crazy to gamble that way, but that’s how Eve plays golf: as if her life depended on it. Janet Hunt, the tournament leader, proved how a pro golfer can be a non-entity. She built an early lead, but Aisha and Eve approached arm’s length at the third round’s end. But Leo saw a flaw in Eve’s plan.
Yup. Eve’s body is a wreck. BIRDIE WING shows us how fine it is, but Eve is sore. Leo thinks Aisha will pull ahead of Janet and Eve as the young cannon stays consistent and the older and injured ones lose by attrition. Well. Underworld monsters don’t easily give up, so Alan and Eve will figure something out for the final round. Alan will pierce the others’ golf with… acupuncture? He’s certified, you know.
Prickly Pair
Comedy break. Aoi’s pro golf career starts with ignoring golf for a couple weeks. Sponsorship and endorsement commitments are part of the deal. Meanwhile, Eve looks like a porcupine. Ichina’s job for the final round will be to prevent Eve from using her Rainbow Bullet Burst.
And now Eve looks like BIRDIE WING‘s mummy. Ha! Leo and Eve engage in the underworld opening rounds of mind games and intimidation. I would love to see them play each other. For the final day strategies, Aisha continued her style of risky long-distance shots. In contrast, Eve returned to her Color Bullet shots for par. But how long will Eve listen to Ichina’s orders?
Janet Hunt faded out of contention, so the tournament turned into a head-to-head match between Eve and Aisha when the cannon shooter blasted her way to a tie with Eve. Ooh. Aisha recognized Eve’s strategy: gathering strength for finishing blows! Eve must hit an eagle to guarantee victory in two shots on the eighteenth hole. But can her body survive the Rainbow Bullet Burst? Ichina gambles on the BIRDIE WING gambling golfer! Leo tried to stop Eve from ruining her golf career. But that’s not how Eve plays gambling golf. And her driver took the damage! That reminds me of Rose’s prosthetic arm cracking under the strain of the Red Bullet.
Eve can’t face Aisha in a playoff, so she’ll take out her secret weapon. Aisha could tell she would lose from how Eve addressed the ball. Over the Rainbow. Busting past her limits! It’s in the hole! Leo is happy to see this day. The next generation surpassed him and Kazuhiko.
Golf Girls Take a Breath
Epilogue time for BIRDIE WING. Eve is now a pro golfer, which means putting on a show for the awards ceremonies. That’s also part of the mind games for gambling golfers. Only show weakness after the show!
Next time, pro golf girls will work hard for their reunion.
BIRDIE WING -Golf Girls’ Story- streams on Crunchyroll and VRV in Japanese audio with English subtitles.
Did you like how Eve looked like a pin cushion from all the acupuncture needles? As a gal-type, she should be used to all those piercings. Like all the girls in Imaizumi’s gal harem! Check out the fifth volume of It Seems Imaizumi’s House is Hangout of Gals in the J-List store today.
Eve is now done with all the monsters of underworld golf, except for those who still work for her grandfather. But other monsters lurk in the pro golf world. Will Eve and Aoi be ready to take them on? When will Aoi get Eve’s kisses on the cheek again? What else are you looking forward to in the final three episodes? Let us know in the comments below or online on Facebook, Twitter, or Discord.
