Izumi and her online friends saw their first women’s track cycling race. They vow to become cyclists, but Izumi waivers.
Episode 1 — “Hot Springs and Vows”
First Thoughts on Rinkai!
I don’t mind half an episode watching naked girls talk in a hot spring, but I had signed up for a track cycling show. Rinkai! started the show from the beginning. Literally! Five girlfriends who had never even watched a race before decided to become pro cyclists together. Sitting naked in hot water. Archimedes (according to legend) proclaimed, “Eureka!” in a hot bath after discovering the principle of buoyancy that bears his name. So, I won’t fault Ai Kumamoto for proclaiming her bright idea to her friends. The pro cyclists also sat around talking in a lounge after their race, so we already have a friendly atmosphere for the ranks of track cycling in Rinkai!. Pleasant rivalries will be the flavor of sportsmanship and competition here.
I also enjoyed the modern inspiration for collecting girls from around Japan to meet in one place. Having IRL meet-ups for video channel subscribers has become more common as people shift their social lives online. It’s like joining a fan club and hanging out at a convention. Miko, the formal idol now live streamer, made the dynamics and logistics believable. She started a fan channel for two cyclists who happened to be best friends and then made friends of her own. I loved the whole idea. It also showed how important a country representing well at world championships can inspire the next generation of athletes. If only it were that easy, but Rinkai! aims to make a point.
Hmm.
In my preview for Rinkai!, I worried about how the quality of the CG models for the racing elements would affect my enjoyment. I still don’t know! We only had three laps of a race before cute girls of varying ages sat and talked. However, I liked the real-world touches injected into the anime. For example, the friendly pair of pro cyclists placed well at the UCI World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. And brought home Scottish cookies for their senior pro colleague. That places the first episode in 2023, and our six main characters will have three years of physical development before they match the stats on their character sheets on the official website. Rinkai! will not suffer the tech anachronisms that grated on me in Yowamushi Pedal. Even how the girls use video chat looks up-to-date.
Rinkai! Makes Me Go Heh.
Har. The announcer said Tsutsuji Kurume won the gold in the individual sprint. But the highest the Japanese women got was into the round of sixteen. The ojousama bought betting tickets! I see women’s thicc thighs in spandex. That’s new to me: a muscular man paces the ladies up to speed instead of a derny for this keirin track. A come-from-behind winner! The two leaders didn’t look sad they lost. Oh. Right. Izumi Itou lives at a hot spring inn. She’ll race a minivan on a mountain bike!
The opening credits for Rinkai! have loving looks at bike gear.
Neat. Izumi’s new friends are staying at her family’s hot spring inn. Whoa! Izumi already made it home! She didn’t have to follow a winding road. But Izumi is in trouble! No riding through the neighbors’ vegetable garden! Ah. Backstory. This is how these girls met: Miko made a fan channel for track cyclists Kurume and Tachikawa. The Tackle Channel (combining Ta and Kuru)! Good girl. Izumi washes down her mountain bike after her trip up the trails.
Terrible! Local sports news only mentions Remu Tachikawa and Tsutsuji Kurume on the podium, but not the winner of the Rinkai League championship. And she’s hanging out with them at the Itou Hot Spring Inn! Miyako Mukoumachi likes how they made TV news, though. Tsutsuji won a gold medal at the UCI World Championships on the track, so many girls are attending races now. These athletes take a focused approach to their roles as ambassadors for the sport. The 2023 edition happened in Glasgow, Scotland, but Tachikawa bought those Scottish cookie tins in Japan. No cookies for you!
Eureka! Let’s Join the Rinkai League!
Nice. The Tackle Channel friends soak in an outdoor hot spring. Ooh. A heavy conversation about becoming professional track cyclists. Ai Kumamoto goes first! Watching the World Championships on TV didn’t capture the electric feeling at the stadium next to the track. Izumi is not as decisive about the others, even though she’s the same high school age as Ai. Kinusa would like a second career after giving up her office lady job. Oho. Somebody overhears this discussion about joining the pro cycling ranks. It’s Tsutsuji! Look at those muscles! She likes how Izumi takes care of her mountain bike.
Wow. These girls work fast. They already looked up registration deadlines for licensing tests before they went to bed. Izumi feels conflicted. Her life track was to go to university and then help run her family’s inn. Oof. There’s so much sitting around talking for a sports anime’s first episode. Couldn’t we learn all these girls’ backstories throughout Rinkai!’s season? Sachi Nagoya’s family has a tradition of kicking its kids out to live on their own before they rejoin the zaibatsu conglomerate. Track cycling could be Sachi’s independent experience.
Miko is gung-ho. A team spirit vow would keep their motivation and dedication to training for track cycling registration. Izumi is the most experienced cyclist, so the other girls believe they need to catch up to her.
Rinkai!’s Past is Prologue
Ah. This is the aunt who owns the dagashi (traditional Japanese candy and snacks) store. Should Izumi honor family obligations or her friends’ ambitions? What does Izumi want out of life? Time passage montage! Ai Kumamoto became a high school cycling champion. Kinusa and Miko did gym work. Miko even closed down The Tackle Channel to concentrate on her training. I’d love to talk to Kinusa and her cute dog as she does yoga. Izumi can’t shake her indecisiveness. Can words of advice from a pro athlete help? Meanwhile, the sixth main character appears – Nana! Terrible American English accent alert. It’s overwhelming. Tsutsuji wrote back to her! What does she mean in her response: “Do you like dagashi?” That’s also the title of the next episode.
Next time, the Avengers assemble! I mean, Tackle Channel reunion.
Rinkai! broadcasts all over Southeast Asia through Japanese channels and streaming services. We are still missing information for North and South America and Europe.
Do you like naked women having serious discussions about the future? I do! But I’m more excited about deciphering the track bike brands and looking at thicc thigh muscles. Have you watched Rinkai! yet? Let us know in the comments below.
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