Kandagawa Jet Girls, Episode 11: Rin Goes Home

Rin returns home for a brief visit before the final rounds of the Kandagawa Jet Cup, while Misa joins Fuuka and Inori at their training camp.

#11 – “Rin Goes Home”

Hmm.

The theme of Kandagawa Jet Girls this week is “just be yourself.” Rin and Misa’s separate stories cover two aspects of self-identity well. Rin needed to stop copying her mom’s racing style to get faster on the jet racer, while Misa needed to express her whole self without holding back. Having two other Jet Racing pairs help the Kandagawa Jet Girls was a good way to almost complete their character development before the final episode, and it was good to see the Hell’s Kitchen sisters and the Sea Serpents receive deeper characterization and screen time without relying on comedy gags.

I especially liked how Misa’s lack of self-confidence in being herself around others, particularly Rin, is related to how she compares herself to her older sister Risa. Kandagawa Jet Girls waited until the penultimate episode to confirm that Kaguya’s coach was related to our costar, but it was still a timely revelation. Misa’s issue with her older sister means she shares something in common with Rin in having to be her own person and not just someone else’s daughter or younger sister.

Naturally, all these personal issues for the Kandagawa Jet Girls will get resolved as soon as Misa lets Rin put her adorable logo with both their faces on the Orcano. That’s when Misa will stop putting a barrier between her heart and Rin’s and they’ll become the best jet racing pair. My contention for Kandagawa Jet Girls is that the best yuri flavor makes the best team. However, every viewer has their own preferences, so I have a feeling that there’s going to be some external circumstance that stops any pair from winning the Kandagawa Jet Cup outright. You’ll have to make your preferred yuri flavor the best team by playing the game, not watching the show!

Heh.

The Kandagawa Jet Girls made the finals! Celebrate! Yamada-sensei is so happy. And she still must use her skills as an English teacher… Oh. We get one small scene of one of their victories. Stop flirting! Winning is a serious business, because Fumika is only serious about beating Kaguya.

Ah. Finally. Kaguya’s coach is Misa’s older sister Risa, genius Shooter. Misa had an inferiority complex from being compared to her after a loss in junior high. It’s hard to imagine the current Kandagawa Jet Girl Misa smiling as big as the younger Misa did. That was also a nice scene under the bridge where Misa entered the emotional darkness she just recently left.

What a surprise that the final six are the playable characters from the Kandagawa Jet Girls video game. I’m shaken! That’s sarcasm, folks. This is the kind of recap clip show I enjoy. Rin watches a lot of TV on her phone. Rin is STILL begging Misa to put her cutesy face on the team logo. Let her do it already, Misa!

Ha! I just love how happy Kuromaru is to eat onigiri. The sound effects Kandagawa Jet Girls used for this scene were hilarious. Kaguya figures Rin can’t beat them yet. Even with the new power unit, Rin isn’t maneuvering the jet racer optimally. She’s been copying her mother’s moves, but those were for a racer without boosts, different materials, and different aerodynamics.

Rin came up with a good idea in the tub. She and Misa do their best thinking in there, so maybe they should just bathe together and save time by thinking through things together. Naked together… Misa’s heart isn’t ready for that, yet. Ha! “Misa-chan-san!” So formal and not so formal at the same time. Serious Rin is serious. Ah. Just like the Kandagawa Jet Girls episode title, Rin is going home.

Fuuka takes her turn in the eye-catch, leaving Inori for the final episode.

Is there a crowd to meet Rin? Nope! It’s for the idol twins.

Aw. Misa seems to do alright in finding the other jet racing pairs too. Hanging out with Fuuka and Inori is more her speed than going to idol cafes or karaoke. Oh, so are we ever going to find out if Nyu-Nyu was real or not? I still say it was Kuromaru doing some extra swimming practice. Why yes, it is lonely sleeping alone. Inori knows! Her mind is just as dirty as Misa’s.

There it is! Waterfall training! Boo! I wanted that robe to have thinner material.

Understandable. Rin needs to talk to her mom’s grave to get some perspective. Aw. Dina and Ziyu came to pay respects to the great Kandagawa Jet Cup Champion Ran Namiki as well. This is very nice. Rin’s mom gave her advice through the memory of little Ziyu, “Just be yourself.”

Oh yes! More naked hot springs action! Inori and Fuuka have shown us their everything, so all the Kandagawa Jet Girls six pairs are complete, if you get my meaning.

This is touching too, in more ways than one. Rin’s habit of touching her chest whenever she felt an emotional connection started when she talked with her mom. And Rin remembered the rest of her mom’s advice that came after copying her.

Haha! Fuuka says she’s most comfortable being herself during a race. Yeah. We saw what that was like. Thank goodness Inori likes it rough. Er, the language I mean. Probably.

Misa needs to be her true self too. Embrace the yuri, Misa! Don’t keep anything between you and Rin. Not secrets, or clothes, or… Oh. Rin is expecting a real emotional connection from Misa’s confession.

Next time, something big happens to wash away a lot of jet racers at the Kandagawa Jet Cup. Has the great Nyu-Nyu finally appeared?