"Idaten Sho" review: What is the appeal of this fast-paced anime?

All-round review and recommendation of Idaten Jump

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

October 1, 2005 - September 30, 2006 TV Tokyo October 1, 2005 - September 30, 2006 (Episodes 1-52) Every Saturday 9:30-10:00

■Broadcasting station

TX

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 52

■Original Story

Toshihiro Fujiwara

■ Director

Takayuki Hamana

■ Production

Animation production: Trans Arts Production cooperation: Production IG
Produced by TV Tokyo, TV Tokyo Media Net, Aniplex

■Works

©Toshihiro Fujiwara, TOMY, Kodansha/Aniplex, CUBE, MN, TV Tokyo

■ Story

Sho Yamato, a boy who loves MTB, practices at the "X Zone" training ground in the mountain behind his house with his childhood friend Kakeru Sakamaki, a genius mechanic, and the competitive girl rider Makoto Shido. One day, he is challenged to a MTB battle with the "X Zone" at stake by the MTB team "Sharktooth" led by the Samejima brothers, who are also from the same elementary school. The "X Zone" is a place of memories with their late father, so Sho and his friends decide that they cannot lose. However, during the Sunday match, they are suddenly enveloped in black smoke and warped to a mysterious world. When they wake up, Kakeru, Makoto, and their beloved MTB "Flame Kaiser" are by Sho's side. Adult MTB riders appear before them, confused. They are told that they are in the "X Zone" and that in order to return to their original world, they need to win the "Idaten Battle" and collect 10 emblems. Will they be able to survive the "Idaten Battles" that take place on various courses such as volcanoes, ruins, deserts, snowy mountains, and graveyards, and return to their original world?

■Cast

・Sho Yamato/Akino Watanabe・Kakeru Sakamaki/Makoto Tsumura・Makoto Shido/Sawa Ishige・Horske/Yuichi Nagashima・Ayumu Yamato/Chiro Kanzaki・Kyōichi Shido/Daisuke Namikawa・Yūki/Risa Mizuno・Kamai Samejima/Akiyo Kaneda・Taiga Samejima/Toshiyuki Kusuda・Koukage/Eiji Takemoto・Arthur/Yuji Kishi・Narration/Hozumi Goda

■ Main staff

Original story by Toshihiro Fujiwara and Tsutomu Etori (serialized in Kodansha's Monthly Comic Bonbon)
・Director / Hamana Takayuki ・Series Composition / Shimo Fumihiko ・Character Design and Chief Animation Director / Yatsu Miyako ・Art Director / Suzuki Satoshi, Isobuchi Chika ・Color Design / Akama Misako ・CG Director / Mizutani Eiji ・Editor / Uematsu Junichi ・Music / Takanashi Koji ・Sound Director / Hiramitsu Takuya ・Producers / Azuma Fukashi, Gushima Tomoko, Hatta Shinsaku, Yonashiro Kaori ・Animation Production / Trans Arts ・Production Cooperation / Production IG
Produced by TV Tokyo, TV Tokyo Media Net, Aniplex

■ Main Characters

・Sho Yamato is energetic and cheerful and loves mountain biking. His favorite bike is his father's posthumous mountain bike, the Flame Kaiser. He's a genius at choosing courses.
・ Sakamaki: Kakeru's childhood friend and fellow MTB rider. An excellent mechanic.
Makoto Shido is Sho's childhood friend and a fellow MTB rider. He became an MTB rider inspired by his older brother.
・Hoseke An owl that speaks the language. He is very knowledgeable but absent-minded.
Ayumu Yamato is Sho's younger brother. He is an honor student and polite, but when he rides his mountain bike, he goes wild.
A mysterious masked boy who watches over Sho and the others, and it is unclear whether he is a friend or foe.
Kyoichi Shido: The masked boy was Makoto's older brother. The trial champion.
-Yuuki: An intelligent and kind master mechanic whom he met in the "X Zone."
Samejima Kibai is a classmate from the original world. He is the leader of Team Sharktooth.
Samejima Taiga Mai's older brother and a high-ranking executive of Team Sharktooth.
A ninja rider employed by Kokagegamai. Uses ninjutsu.
Arthur
A knight rider who guarded the X Tower. A gentleman to everyone.

■Subtitle

・Episode 1: This is a MTB battle! (2005/10/01)
Episode 2: The Great Escape! Battle of the Sand Dunes (2005/10/08)
Episode 3: Shock! First Defeat!? (2005/10/15)
Episode 4: Get My MTB Back! (2005/10/22)
Episode 5: Fiery Volcano Battle!! (2005/10/29)
・Episode 6: The Challenge of the High-Tech Group (2005/11/05)
Episode 7: Agh! The MTB Graveyard (2005/11/12)
Episode 8: Neptune appears! (2005/11/19)
Episode 9: The Masked Boy's True Identity! (2005/11/26)
Episode 10: The Strongest Enemy Appears! (2005/12/03)
Episode 11: Battle on the Ship! Team ST's Trap (2005/12/10)
Episode 12: The Coveted Gold Celebrity Resort City (2005/12/17)
Episode 13: School Battle! Explosion, Idaten Cross! (2005/12/24)
Episode 14: The Man Who Defeated Flame Kaiser!? (2005/12/31)
・Episode 15: Prince of MTB (2006/01/07)
Episode 16: A Deadly Battle in the Rain, Awaken Neptune (2006/01/14)
・Episode 17: Finally, the secret of Team ST is revealed! (2006/01/21)
Episode 18: A new assassin! A trial by brother and sister battle (2006/01/28)
Episode 19: Showdown! Flame Kaiser vs. Thunder Emperor (2006/02/04)
・Episode 20: Strong Enemy! Ninja Rider Koei (2006/02/11)
・Episode 21: The Gatekeeper of X City (2006/02/25)
Episode 22: We've arrived! X City (2006/03/04)
Episode 23: The Idaten Battle Tournament Begins! (2006/03/11)
Episode 24: Clash! Flame Kaiser vs. Neptune (2006/03/18)
Episode 25: Hammerhead! The Sixth Speedster Bike (2006/03/25)
・Episode 26: Killer! Shido Special (2006/04/01)
Episode 27: Fierce Battle! Hammerhead vs. Aeroscissors (2006/04/08)
Episode 28: The Final Battle of the Conspiracy (2006/04/15)
Episode 29: Final Battle! Who will be the winner? (2006/04/22)
Episode 30: Invasion of X Tower (2006/04/29)
・Episode 31: Final Battle! Flame Kaiser vs. Bloody Fang (2006/05/06)
・Episode 32: Goodbye X-Zone (2006/05/13)
・Episode 33: A new and powerful enemy, its name is Team X (2006/05/20)
Episode 34: Back to the X-Zone! (2006/05/27)
Episode 35: Shock! Sho's father is alive (2006/06/03)
・Episode 36: Explosive! Imperial DC!! (2006/06/10)
Episode 37: The Fearful Dark Emblem (2006/06/17)
Episode 38: Kibamai's Temptation, Flame Kaiser in Big Trouble! (2006/06/24)
・Episode 39: Incandescent! Imperial DC vs. Aero Scissors (2006/07/01)
・Episode 40: The Bad Bacteria of Nanashi Forest (2006/07/08)
Episode 41: Challenge to Arthur! The Road to the Phantom Island (2006/07/15)
Episode 42: The Great Gathering of Speedy Bikers! The Showdown with Team X! (2006/07/22)
Episode 43: Sho vs. Shido! A battle for the soul! (2006/07/29)
Episode 44: A shocking reunion! Imperial X appears! (2006/08/05)
・Episode 45: The Second Island Appears! The Beginning of the World's Collapse (2006/08/12)
Episode 46: Big Attack! Team X vs. Imperial DC (2006/08/19)
Episode 47: The legendary training ground, Sho's training! (2006/08/26)
Episode 48: Miraculous Power, New Special Move Explosion (2006/09/02)
Episode 49: Flame Kaiser vs. Team Idaten Rider (September 9, 2006)
・Episode 50: Final Battle! Imperial Island! (2006/09/16)
Episode 51: Fateful Showdown, Sho Yamato's Final Great Battle! (2006/09/23)
Episode 52: A new journey, revive the world! (2006/09/30)

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・RED ZONE!!!
Lyrics: Junta Mori Composition: Junta Mori Arrangement: Tsubame Sketch, Nobuhiko Kashihara Vocals: Tsubame Sketch

・OP2
・Your World
・Lyrics by HIRO
・Composer: Yosei
・Song: Ketchupmania

・ED1
・Asuka・Lyrics/Hoifesta・Composition/Hoifesta・Arrangement/Hoifesta・Song/Hoifesta

・ED2
・Shalala ・Lyrics by Hagio ・Music by Hagio ・Arrangement by Tsubame Sketch, Nobuhiko Kashihara ・Singer by Tsubame Sketch

・ED3
・RED ZONE!!!
Lyrics: Junta Mori Composition: Junta Mori Arrangement: Tsubame Sketch, Nobuhiko Kashihara Vocals: Tsubame Sketch

■ Evaluation

Idaten Jump is a 52-episode anime series that aired on TV Tokyo from 2005 to 2006 and is based on the manga of the same name by Toshihiro Fujiwara. The series is a mountain biking-themed sports action anime that follows the protagonist Sho Yamato and his friends as they engage in exciting race battles on a variety of courses.

The story begins with a boy named Sho Yamato, who loves mountain biking, practicing with his friends at the "X-Zone" training ground on the mountain behind his house. One day, he is challenged to a mountain biking battle with the "X-Zone" at stake by the "Sharktooth" team led by the Samejima brothers. The "X-Zone" is a place of memories with his late father, so Sho and his friends decide that they cannot lose. However, during the battle, they are suddenly enveloped in black smoke and warped to a mysterious world. There, they meet adult mountain biking riders who tell them that in order to return to their original world, they need to win the "Idaten Battle" and collect 10 emblems. Will they be able to win the "Idaten Battle" on various courses such as volcanoes, ruins, deserts, snowy mountains, and graveyards and return to their original world? This is the story that unfolds.

The appeal of this work lies above all in the high-speed racing scenes and the story of the growth of its unique characters. Director Hamana Takayuki has succeeded in drawing viewers in with his dynamic racing scenes that make full use of CG. Character designer Yatsu Miyako has also given the story depth by creating designs that highlight the individuality of each character.

In particular, the main character, Sho Yamato, is a lively and cheerful boy who loves mountain biking and is a genius at choosing courses with his beloved bike, the Flame Kaiser. His childhood friend, Kakeru Sakamaki, is an excellent mechanic, and Makoto Shido also adds excitement to the story as a headstrong female rider. In addition, many unique characters appear, such as the talking owl Horseke, the mysterious masked boy, and the trial champion Kyoichi Shido, enriching the story.

As you can see from the subtitles, each episode features a race battle on a different course, making sure the viewers don't get bored. In particular, don't miss the episodes that build up to the climax, such as episode 24, "Clash! Flame Kaiser vs. Neptune," and episode 31, "The Final Battle! Flame Kaiser vs. Bloody Fang."

In terms of music, the opening theme "RED ZONE!!!", the opening theme "Your World" and the ending theme "Asuka" all play a role in enhancing the atmosphere of the story. In particular, "RED ZONE!!!" by Tsubame Sketch is a song that symbolizes the speed of the anime and will surely capture the hearts of viewers.

■Recommendation

"Idaten Jump" is a sports action anime themed around mountain biking that can be enjoyed by a wide range of people, from children to adults. It is a must-watch for anyone who loves mountain biking and racing in particular. The high-speed racing scenes and the stories of the unique characters' growth are sure to draw viewers in. Each episode also depicts a race battle on a different course, so you'll never get bored of watching it.

Furthermore, this work depicts universal themes such as friendship, hard work, and growth, and the moving storyline is one of its attractions. In particular, the way the main character, Sho Yamato, overcomes difficulties together with his friends will surely give courage and hope to viewers.

The music is also excellent, with the opening and ending songs playing a key role in enhancing the atmosphere of the story. In particular, "RED ZONE!!!" by Tsubame Sketch is a song that symbolizes the sense of speed of the anime and is sure to capture the hearts of viewers.

For these reasons, Idaten Jump is a recommended work not only for those who like MTB and racing, but also for those who want to enjoy a moving story and unique characters.