Eve and Rose dramatically finish their golf match. Their lives change just as dramatically afterward.
Episode 8 – “Final Bullet”
Hmm.
Have you wondered why BIRDIE WING uses Leo so sparingly? He trained both Rose Aleon and Eve in his bullet system of golf, but he’s still a mysterious character with rakish scars. Leo exists only to develop Eve’s character. The core of Eve’s drive is to play against golfers who are better than she is because that’s the only way to become better. Ambition is the difference between underground golfers and sports golfers, so the sports golfers bet their careers on better opponents instead of guaranteed money. Leo abandoned Rose for Eve because Rose lacked that ambition. Leo is sentimental, so he came to Nafrece when Rose called him, but he stuck to his principles. Rose worked for the mafia against his advice, and he saved her life. But she lost his trust forever.
BIRDIE WING finally moved to Japan. Will we get slice-of-life now? Did we need to spend eight episodes on the dark backstory of the mysterious transfer student? The answer is yes because Bandai Namco wants to show an anime about the world behind a golf video game. The funny part is how Eve reacts to the lower stakes of high-school-age rivalry. She dodged mafia hits and handled suitcases of cash. An inter-high golf championship is a mere blip to Eve’s attention if Aoi doesn’t show up.
Heh.
BIRDIE WING starts with a flashback of how Rose lost her right arm. She lost a golf match before losing to a machete. Leo saved her life but then left her to train Eve. Rose gave Eve the ultimate lesson in working for the mob as an underground golfer. The opening credits feature Rose’s Crimson Rose logo on the last golf ball.
The match isn’t over yet. Rose remembered meeting Eve after Leo started training her. Was Eve marking her own balls with her birdie wing logo? It looks rougher compared to Lily’s current version. That’s the BIRDIE WING logo if you haven’t figured that out by now. According to Rose’s inner monologue, she’s responsible for setting up Eve and her family to escape the demolished slums. But the mafia golfer wants to see Eve’s skill for herself. Rose strikes the ball with one arm! It’s a matter of who can hole out from the fairway.
Rose thinks she’ll get her next shot because her accuracy is best at the 140-yard distance. But can she still perform with only one arm? Oh, so close! Just like the other eight holes before this one. Rose believes that was her last golf shot ever. Let’s see if Eve can confirm with a Red Bullet.
And suddenly, it’s all over for BIRDIE WING! Vipère and Eve picked up Klein, Lily, and the kids. Now, they’ve got money and official documents. Those documents say the kids came from Palestine, Syria, and Somalia. Teasingly, the anime hides the birthplaces of Klein, Lily, and “Evangeline F.” from view. Eve’s last name is hidden too. Klein bought a new bar, “The White Hart.” It has angel wings in its signage. These things were all a gift from a friendly neighborhood Snake Woman. Vipère got her yacht and her man!
Uh oh! Anri has unfinished business with Eve! BIRDIE WING reminds you to practice your butterfly knife flipping with a dull blade. Aw. Anri felt jealous of Rose’s attention to Eve. Rose was Eve’s elder sister in golfing because they had the same golf coach. Anri couldn’t compete with that feeling. Oh, here’s the unfinished business. Catherine put out a hit on both Rose and Eve! Time to fly to Japan! Anri memes herself with anime logic. People usually die after they live their lives. We have some historical exceptions but ask your local Christians and Buddhists about those guys. Odd. Eve’s last name on her passport is Kimishima. Did Nafrece know who she was the entire time? Does that name jog her out of her amnesia? Is that still a plot point in BIRDIE WING? Aw. Rose called Klein about how Eve needed to leave Nafrece. The end credits recap montage closes this chapter in Eve’s life. Who will paint Eve’s golf ball logo’s now?
We have a long time for a BIRDIE WING epilogue. Rose is just waiting around to get killed. Ha. Hahaha! Eve got Rose back by smacking her ball and holing out. Leo shows up for some reason. So, Rose called Leo, but he didn’t want to see her. So, Leo went to Klein’s bar, talking about sentimentality. He said his goodbyes to her when she had her hand cut off, so his appearance here is a favor to her in her last moments. Leo foresees Eve raining down rainbow bullets over the world if she awakens her inner power. Only Aoi can do that! If only Rose was more ambitious, she could have led a happy golfing life with Leo. The music sounds like a Spaghetti Western at high noon. Goodbye Rose. I liked your taut belly and tight pantsuit. Meanwhile, Eve just learned about complimentary drinks on airlines. Keep them coming!
Next time, golfing school sports anime. Start!
BIRDIE WING: Golf Girls’ Story (BIRDIE WING -Golf Girls’ Story-) streams on Crunchyroll and VRV in Japanese audio with English subtitles.
