Yowamushi Pedal

Title:Yowamushi Pedal
弱虫ペダル
Overall:Watch
Keywords: , , , ,
Notables: FUKUSHIMA Jun
Original Concept - WATANABE Wataru
TORIUMI Kousuke
YAMASHITA Daiki
Sakamichi Onoda is a wimpy high school freshman who loves anime. He initially wants to enter the anime club, but winds up joining the cycling club after meeting two classmates who are already famous cyclists. He undertakes the grueling training to compete in races, and discovers his own hidden talent in cycling.
(Synopsis courtesy of ANN)

[TV series, 2013/14, 38 episodes, 24 min; based on an ongoing ↗manga with 30+ volumes since 2008; the sequel "Yowamushi Pedal 2" is scheduled for October 2014]

OverallArtAnimationCharacter Design MusicSeries StoryEpisode StoryReviewer
Unevaluated 7 7 8 6 7 8 Devil Doll [series:2809#752]
[suspended after 31/38 episodes; temporary score: 72% = maximum "Watch+"]
A ganbatte anime with a surprising focus on team spirit, even more so as it is about an individual sport. Not much substance but likeable and developing characters. Sadly the final competition goes way overboard in several aspects.
I didn't expect this theme to be interesting for me, but after three episodes I have to say this show is doing something right. All important characters are likeable in their own way, and despite the silly premise a lot of cycling details are given to make things at least a bit more plausible.

The welcome race of the new club members is dragging a bit over many episodes (up to episode 9) but has enough events to call for this, and shows enough character development to still be entertaining. From there, the focus is shifting to the cycling club as a whole and the forthcoming inter-high competition.

The training camp arc (episode 12-18) adds more character development and team building, including some more background of the team members.

Once the Touhoku school's team for the inter-high competition stands, the focus shifts to other teams, including a potential friend and a potential enemy from rivalling teams, plus a flashback to the dramatic events of the previous year inter-high race.

And then, with episode 22 the inter-high competition begins - a three-day race (whose first day covers a complete 10 episodes).

Sadly, this part was what literally threw me out of the series. Intended to be the climax of this show, the final competition suffers from two effects, one being the ridiculously evil (and illogically operating and yet overly strong) main opponent, the other being some crazy elements during the race that killed my suspense of disbelief, both resulting in me suddenly no longer caring about the outcome of both the race and the anime, and ultimately leading to half a year of complete anime absence for me.

Last updated Tuesday, November 04 2014. Created Tuesday, October 22 2013.
Unevaluated Stretch [series:2809#628]
(Two episode watched):

I went into this show thinking 'How could an anime about bicycle racing possibly be entertaining'? By being silly and amusing, that's how. I almost didn't watch Y Pedal at all, but I'm glad I did since it turned out to be better than I had expected. I feel for the shy nerd guy, too. The premise isn't particularly plausible--a guy who rides a bike just because he saves some money that way for his primary hobby of being an otaku is somehow better than a guy who has devoted his life to it. But this is a comedy basically, and the no-good-deed-goes-unpunished paradox is played for laughs, so what the hey. If the show manages to keep providing fresh laughs like in episode one, Y Pedal should be well worth watching.

Learning that this show is going to be no less than three seasons long makes me uncomfortable. The longer a show is, the more I have to like it in order to justify investing so much time. A show that will be three seasons long will have to be outright outstanding, and it's unclear so far if Y Pedal will be that good. Episode two seemed less inspired than episode one had been. There's nothing wrong with this show, just not enough right about it for me to sign on for nine months.

Last updated Sunday, November 10 2013. Created Saturday, October 19 2013.

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