Rideback is one of the more interesting of the winter season anime. Rin Ogata, a college student and former ballet dancer, discovers the college “Rideback” club one rainy day. Ridebacks are a kind of cross between motorcycle and robot. Rin is persuaded to have a go on a red “Fuego” Rideback to pass the time, and discovers that she has a natural affinity for controlling these machines, and that she finds it thrilling.
Politically, she lives in a world controlled by the GGP, who (we are told) are an obscure group who have suddenly conquered the world by the use of advanced military technology. They face some opposition in Japan from a group using terrorist tactics, who also use Ridebacks for their missions.
Soon Rin is racing against a much more experienced female club member, and matching her. She is entered for a national race, but using a less highly modified Rideback, the “Balon” which she doesn’t get on with so well. Afterwards, she uses “Fuego” to rescue her friend from a terrorist attack, in spectacular fashion.
I felt that the weakest part of this so far is the political stuff. Clearly a major objective of the story is to get a nice-looking girl riding a cool piece of machinery, but the political background lacks some credibility. To take over the whole world the GGP would have needed some very impressive weaponry and the strategic skill to use it, but we haven’t been shown it so far, and they just look like the usual totalitarian regime.
I’m also following:
Toradora! but the script seems (episodes 19,20) to be running out of steam. In episode 19 there is a lot of random and somewhat pointless action, and there is little sign that the scriptwriters are going to get a grip and resolve the relationships between the characters. Nevertheless I like the small and furious Taiga Aisaka, the caring RyÅ«ji Takasu, the redhaired and changeable Minori Kushieda, and the tall, clever and gorgeous teen model Ami Kawashima. This series seem set to end in some disappointing and infantile way. Could it be that the “light novels” this is based on are also disappointing and infantile?
Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th: Back on form again with a uniformly interesting 4th series. Sachiko has charged Yumi with finding someone to be her younger ‘sister’, but will it be Kanoko, Touko, or someone else? At episode 6, Yumi seems little nearer to making her mind up.
I also downloaded “Macross – do You Remember Love” Curious to see this 25-year old movie again; I first saw it at an anime convention, and later got a dub release of it (possibly as “Clash of the Bionoids”) M-DYRL is a an alternate retelling of the events of the original Macross television series, with new animation. Super Dimension Fortress Macross, to give it its full title, is a huge space ship that can transform itself for battle to something that looks more like a giant robot. The film revolves around three chief characters, Hikaru Ichijyo (a hot-shot pilot), coquettish pop-star Lynn Minmay, and the Fortress’ first mate Misa Hayase.
Sora wo kakeru shoujo (The Girl who Leapt Through Space) is a light space fantasy/comedy about a schoolgirl who resists an attempt by her family to marry her off to somebody she has never met, by embarking on an adventure involving a deserted space-colony controlled by a talking computer. On the whole I’d rather watch Macross DYRL.
Also checked: Genji Monigatari Sennenki – an anime adaptation of the famous Japanese classic writings. Gorgeous to look at, and the first episode is unexpectedly full of sex and sensuality. Kurozuka first episode set in the historic Heian era, I think – fleeing noble is given refuge by a beautiful but blood-thirsty immortal. Gorgeously animated, but have the feeling that the plot goes rapidly downhill as it goes rapidly future-wards. Michiko to Hatchin is set in South America (where real-life Japanese settlers have a small foothold). Poorhouse girl being graphically and grossly mistreated by a selfish family of bourgeoisie who have “rescued” her is reclaimed by her gun-toting criminal mother, who in a keynote scene arrives crashing through the window on a motorcycle. Looks like a lot of fun.