Izumi and her track cycling friends pass the qualifying exams and enter the Keirin Cycling Academy.
Episode 3 — “L14 Term”
Hmm.
One difference between feminine and masculine stories in the shounen sports genre is how rivals treat each other. It’s rare for the boys to be best friends outside of the activity where they compete against each other. But look at the recent examples of female shounen sports anime. These girls use their rivalry to become better at their sports so that they can spend more time together. Tsutsuji Kurume’s welcome speech in Rinkai! about finding a rival and best friend during the training term at the Keirin Cyclist Academy put words to how feminine shounen energy works.
One shounen rivalry that has spanned decades and life experiences is between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha from the Naruto franchise. Even after Naruto and Sasuke married their sweethearts and had their own families, they never spent much buddy time together. Can you imagine Naruto and Sasuke hanging out at Ichiraku Ramen? Uh, no. But look at the girl couples in BIRDIE WING -Golf Girls’ Story- and Iwakakeru! Sport Climbing Girls. The attitude for improving sports skills to support their best friends at a tournament and spend more time with them is how feminine sports rivalry works.
Rinkai! Brings Dad Joke Energy
One of the best things about anime is how shows can operate on several levels to entertain. Rinkai! has the sports nerd talk and gear scenery that bike otaku want. But it also has healthy relationships between parents, children, and siblings. And part of having a well-adjusted father relate to his daughters is employing nuclear-grade dad jokes. The Ito dad just kept dropping the lines as his daughters ignored him. Seemingly. They rolled their eyes on the inside. I know it!
Rinkai! Makes Me Go Heh.
Sono uses all the monitors in her track cycling Death Star. She and her son examine Nana Hiratsuka’s stats. This “formidable opponent” will become Izumi’s rival. Obviously! But first, Izumi needs to bulk up and hone her track cycling skills to pass a screen test. Kinusa is her online training partner, which motivates both to work harder. Their other friends, Ai, Miko, and Sachi, are on pace for success, too.
I’m still waiting for Rinkai! to explain what these “L” terms mean. What does “L14” signify for women’s track cycling in Japan? Sono shows Izumi her steady training progress. Clearly, Izumi has talent and potential. How do you reward good cycling behavior? With an expensive bike! Wow, the US dollar is weak against the Japanese yen these days. ¥500 thousand is only $3270 today. Still, that’s a lot of money. But pro and elite amateur cyclists’ equipment usually ticks over the $20,000 mark. I liked the contrast between children’s yen coins for candy and a carbon frame’s cost.
How many secret rooms does Sono’s Cycling Death Star have? Ah. It’s the mechanic’s workshop! And Izumi has a track bike now! I like how she’s a gear-hound and assembled the components with some help from Tsubonosuke. Her balancing track stand is impressive. Sono bought the machine for Izumi! Not as a gift, though, because it’s a repayment instead. Sono says Izumi’s grandmother and neighbors sponsored Tsubonosuke’s professional racing career with his first bike.
School Entrance Exam Formula for Rinkai!
Training montage! Yay! It’s a Tackle Channel reunion at the keirin screening test. Nana isn’t here because she’s the French youth champion. But the Japanese high school champion is! Ai Kumamoto should not feel inferior to Nana. There’s also the university champion from Hiroshima. The best women of the best are here. Hohoho and aw. Poor Midori. Overbearing parents, especially pro athletes, are everywhere in athletics. Funny. The rule for the girls’ names in Rinkai! has been to match the city they come from. Midori Maebashi’s name follows the rule, but her dad’s given name, Gunma, matches Maebashi’s prefecture! We have a hint about these track ratings. Gunma is Level S, Grade S. Where do the girls start from? Aw. I wanted to see the racing action of the girls’ successful screening process.
Rinkai! Rivalry Triangle?
Graduation day for the cyclist high school students. No biggie for Izumi. She immediately jumped on her bike for more training after graduation ceremonies and rituals. High five from mom. Ha. The cyclist academy has business suit uniforms. Office lady attire for women cyclists! The other characters representing the velodrome cities are here now. Aha. Rika Matsudo presents the history of track cycling originating in Japan and spreading to the rest of the world. Ai has an attachment to Remu Tachikawa, Tsutsuji’s best friend and rival. Will her need for acknowledgment lead to drama down the road? Or bank, as it were.
Notable. Izumi’s friends claim Nana glared at her when they first met, but Izumi felt they just made eye contact. Oh. The L14 Term means the 14th class of the Keirin Cyclist Academy. Why “L,” though? Does it stand for “Ladies?” Please inform us, Rinkai!. Oho. In a welcome speech from Tsutsuji, from the L7 Term, the pro cyclist shined a spotlight on Izumi. Why? We know it’s because she shares a head coach with Tsutsuji. But did Nana know that? Because someone who raised two world champions might have developed a third one? Tsutsuji hopes the new cyclists make friends and rivals to push them higher. Nana and Izumi haven’t even exchanged words yet! Next time, we’ll get back to watching girls wearing skintight clothing.
Thank you for reading this review on the third episode of Rinkai!. We’re three episodes into the season and have yet to see our cycling girls in concentrated pedaling action. Are you as curious and impatient as I am about how the CGI models will look in extended scenes? Do you have other concerns? Let us know in the comments below.
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