Aoi and Eve shoot to the top of the leaderboard. But pro golfer Juha stands between the golf girls’ final pairing.
Episode 24 — “Promise”
Hmm.
The theme of this week’s BIRDIE WING episode specifically related to Aoi’s health and how she couldn’t keep her promise to Eve. The candle that burns brighter also burns faster. But in Aoi’s case, it’s a question if she did so recklessly or if the rate she burned out was beyond her control. The anime chose two voices and two symbolic images to illustrate those perspectives.
On the side of recklessness, Juha thought of the cautionary tale of Daedalus and Icarus escaping prison with wax wings. Icarus, losing himself in the novelty of flight, flew too high and too close to the sun. Despite his father’s repeated warnings, Icarus’s wings melted, and he plunged to death. Juha saw Aoi jump into a wide lead in the third round of play and how the younger player struggled with her stamina late into the match. Juha had good instincts, but she was wrong about Aoi’s recklessness. In the last BIRDIE WING episode, Amane and Aoi planned to carefully measure her energy output against Aoi’s degenerative disease, but it ultimately failed by one day.
On the other side of the argument that Aoi’s collapse was a tragedy beyond her control, her own prayer to God, pleading for one more day, captured her desperation. Her detailed plan to save and rebuild her stamina between golf tournaments proved the folly of a person’s struggle against nature. Their goal ended as a mere reflection of the sky Aoi had hoped to fly in. The symbolic imagery of Aoi using her remaining strength to walk on a mirror’s surface instead of spreading her wings in the bright blue sky said it all. She had shining wings to soar in the sky but could only tread on a false image before falling.
Take These Broken Wings and Learn to Fly Again
Aoi’s broken wings also pointed to a broken promise. The preview claims the season finale’s episode title will be about how their shared goal won’t end but will revive. We’ll have to see how BIRDIE WING keeps that bold promise.
Heh.
Juha has a crack team of data analysts and strategists. Those rich American pro athletes! But why do they wear sunglasses in a darkened conference room? Operating systems come with dark mode now, you know. Juha’s team predicts a winning score of -10 for the British Open and that Juha’s condition will also peak on the final day. That’s how Leo plans for Aisha’s golf tournaments. Oh, please. Juha’s caddy’s name is Karen, and she has the hairstyle! Ooh. Aoi and Eve got Juha’s attention on the tournament’s first day! Fun. Juha likes the unexpected because it makes golf fun! That’s how Aoi plays golf. What part of Eve’s golf game will show up next? Juha’s Lunar Empress golf logo is in the opening credits.
A training montage for Eve wets the palate for watching her improved golf techniques. The top three on the leaderboard, Eve, Aoi, and Juha, trade birdies and eagles. I didn’t hear Eve yell about her colored bullets. BIRDIE WING didn’t show bullet colors either. Is Eve playing pure vanilla right now? Hoo boy. The St. Annlies golf course has such harsh conditions that Reika, the top Japanese women’s golfer, didn’t make the weekend cut.
Hahaha! Who is this woman who got between Aoi and Eve? The weekend rounds of golf have pair groupings, so Aoi and Juha are the last to tee up. Eve needs to jump ahead of that American hussy! Juha’s sports analysts focus on Aoi as her main threat for the tournament. Juha noticed Aoi has wings! Look how the touch screen on the monitor makes those wings appear temporarily. Foreshadowing?
Moon Over the Rainbow?
Eve is paired with a “Siera Daniel,” tied for fourth with three others. How do the golf officials decide which of those four plays in the second group? Will we even see what she looks like? Aw. Eve’s family is in the grandstands. Finally! It looks like Eve saved her bullets for the final rounds of golf. First up, Rainbow Bullet Burst! Eve and Aoi shoot through each other’s hearts. It’s not intimidation anymore but encouragement. I like this Juha lady because she’s envious of their rivalry. BIRDIE WING is done with the cheating schemers of underground golf. We have monster golf on the screen now. Hey! Aoi yelled a name for her golf swing like Eve usually does. Shining 48! Aoi can handle long shafts all day and night.
Can Aoi keep up this pace? Juha bets not. Reiya noticed the defending champion playing conservatively. Keikakudoori! And right on schedule, Aoi started showing symptoms of her golf-wasting disease. Er. I mean. Tuberous sclerosis. Although Juha doesn’t know Aoi’s condition, the champion has sensed something about Aoi, like the girl walking a fine line between victory and exhaustion. Her mind goes to the fable of Icarus flying too close to the sun with wax wings. Juha’s analysis was almost correct, but she had the details wrong. Aoi’s wings aren’t external wax wings she put on to fly. Instead, her body can’t produce enough fuel to stay in the air.
So Close, yet so Far
Eve stays on target for her goal, not to win but to play golf with Aoi. Like how she depends on Ichina to be her golf encyclopedia, Eve also relies on her caddy’s calculator brain. Sappy stuff here in BIRDIE WING, but I’ll allow it! Eve only wants hugs from Aoi! Ichina, go hug Amane. Juha needs to score a birdie, or better, to stay in the final group for the last round. See? I like Juha! She realized she had read Aoi’s shining wings wrong. Oh no. If Aoi had holed that chip in, she might have made it to tomorrow. But Aoi is past her limits, and down she goes. Wonderful imagery. Aoi tries to stay in the sky, but it’s only a reflection. She came crashing back to earth.
Quite the cliffhanger! Next time, the golf girls make more promises. I don’t understand the preview scenes. Ichina and Amane are in casual clothes instead of caddy gear, but the gallery cheers along with them. What are they watching? The season finale, of course!
BIRDIE WING -Golf Girls’ Story- streams on Crunchyroll and VRV in Japanese audio with English subtitles.
You may have noticed how much I like Juha. I think I mentioned it once or twice… She has an admirable sporting attitude, but her dark chocolate skin looks delicious. J-List has what you’re looking for if you want to enjoy more tanned waifus. I like that look back from Akira in artist Kazusa Miyamoto’s Heart Mark Motto Oome.
How do you think the British Open ends? I vote for a time skip to Juha Hamilail picking up another trophy, with people chasing Aoi and Eve around the golf course. What’s your theory? Let us know in the comments below or online on Facebook, Twitter, or Discord.
