Rinkai!, Episode 11: Finding Fame, Fortune, & Haters?

Izumi and Nana sit for a TV interview before the Rookie Final. But Izumi’s sudden fame brings negative attention, too.

Episode 11 — “Bicycle Racetrack (Bank)”

Hmm.

Sports psychology deals with the opponents a cyclist can’t beat with her legs. Rinkai! brings us back to Izumi’s inferiority complex and how she had never addressed it. She didn’t have to worry about whether she was better than her veteran competitors because Izumi often wasn’t. But what about the situation in the Rookie Final? She’s the dark horse who could outpace Nana, the outright favorite to win. The spotlight that follows the genius rookie is splashing onto Izumi. She’s not used to the attention, which brings cheers, jeers, and everything between those poles of fan sentiment. Izumi’s televised interview amplified a confident voice that didn’t match her interior voice.

Izumi’s worrying thoughts about negative online comments highlight the darker side of sudden fame and fortune. The track cycling league rookie racers have been inside a bubble of positive reinforcement from veterans, staff, and small fan clubs at their home “banks.” But we never heard its gamblers complain about losing bets on them. Why? Because those girls are in their first year of racing, nobody expects top results so early. But if Izumi and her friends are the sole focus of attention, those hurtful comments will come. That’s a new experience for Izumi and Rinkai! — dealing with the online haters. Izumi made a big mistake when she put her name in a search box. Can she learn to stop fixating on mean chats and replies in time for her rematch with Nana? We’ll find out in the season finale.

Rinkai! Makes Me Go Heh.

Nana does her usual thing. But the world champions swamp her in the finishing straight. Nana held on to third against Tsutsuji and Remu in the Rinkai League’s Grand Prix race. The top three ladies had usually been Tsutsuji, Remu, and veteran Miyako, but Nana displaced the veteran cyclist. The new generation is stepping up. We’ll see how she does in the Rookie Final. Izumi has the reputation of winning against Nana in their class’s graduation race. Izumi’s home bank fan club is fun and vocal!

Oh, a magazine interview shouldn’t surprise you, Izumi. As Rinkai!’s season has shown us, her fellow L14 Term members have demonstrated their talents against the previous ones. They’re special! Look at the Rookie Final contestants. The last two years of new cyclists are eligible, but only one from last year (after an extra year of pro cycling) made it to the top. That’s amazing! Also, one of their members graduated early and regularly won against seasoned pros. And the only one of that genius’s class who had an official victory over her was one cyclist: Izumi Itou. The keirin fans have an intense interest in this one race. What? Izumi and Nana never raced this year? The Rookie Final will be their rematch.

Nana will join Izumi for the TV interview. She warns Izumi about her inferiority complex. That’s the one weakness Nana always saw in Izumi. In the interview, Izumi lists Nana’s disadvantages in the graduation race, but a win was still a win. Nana goaded Izumi into making confident statements. The cycling magazine staff liked Izumi’s brashness. So did Nana! Here we go. The magazine photo shoot! Hahaha! The Rinkai! anime replicates the website’s character profiles.

Rinkai! and Sports’ Extra Opponent — The Media!

Izumi is a pro cyclist now, but talking to the media is more tiring than racing and training. The Itou girls need to decompress in the Ito Hot Springs Inn. Izumi’s inferiority complex won’t allow her to recognize her accomplishments. Atsumi won’t have any of it! Could Izumi have never received criticism, so she thinks she doesn’t deserve praise? Atsumi turns that around on her little sister. Izumi has fans because they can tell she has to work hard for her results.

The other riders in the Rookie Final have plans to beat Nana and Izumi, too. Midori shocks her father, Gunma, with plans she wants to race abroad. His daughter doesn’t love him anymore! Kinusa’s doggy companion also does core strengthening exercises.

Self-Inflicted Mind Games in Rinkai!

Uh oh. If you’ve seen any Japanese celebrity commentating shows, you know how the editing and graphics look. How will the TV package make Izumi look? Hahaha! Revenge! Izumi can’t watch it because it’s too embarrassing! Oops. The cat’s out of the bag — Izumi has a cycling superpower! She is a “telepathist!” We haven’t heard if Izumi has predicted any of her opponents’ moves to win a race.

Har! Izumi wore an outrageous disguise to purchase the cycling magazine in another city with Tsutsuji. Look! The magazine cover is the middle visual on the Rinkai! website. The Rookie Final promotion is off the scale. Uh oh. Izumi witnessed someone have a poor reaction to her article.

Woohoo! The Ito Hot Spring Inn is jumping crazy! So many tourists came to stay because of Izumi’s media coverage and hoping for an autograph. I’m sure. Izumi will stay with Coach Kouraku at the Cycling Death Star until the race. Aw. Her sudden fame weighs on her mind. Izumi should not have stuck her name into a search box. She thinks everyone hates her and ignores the positive comments.

An Away Race at a Rinkai Home Bank

Fun! Remi Hiroshima left the hospital, though not in time to race again before the end of the season. But she can provide color commentary on the Rookie Final race. Remi does have a big personality! Nana feels happy before the race because she’ll race with her friends again. Unfortunately, Izumi’s head is a mess. Tsutsuji noticed, but could she offer advice to straighten her out before the race? They’ll have a long car trip together on the coast from Ito to Hiratsuka (Nana’s home bank). Like the Rinkai train line?

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Next time, the Rinkai! season finale has the rookies race for pride, survival, and to outshine their peers. Who do you think will win? Let us know in the comments below.

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