Yowamushi Pedal SPECIAL RIDE - A special edition that rediscovers the charm of passionate cycling

Yowamushi Pedal Special Ride

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

August 8, 2013 * Included in the limited edition of the 29th volume of the comic with OAD

■Release and sales

Akita Publishing

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Wataru Watanabe "Yowamushi Pedal" (serialized in Akita Publishing's "Weekly Shonen Champion")

■ Director

Osamu Nabeshima

■ Production

Animation Production: TMS Entertainment

■Works

©Watanabe Wataru (Weekly Shonen Champion) 2008 / "Yowamushi Pedal SPECIAL RIDE" Production Committee 2013

■ Story

One day before the Inter-High School Cycling Club. The club captain, Kinjo, tells Makishima, a third-year climber, "You two fellow climbers should get along," so he goes to the club room to talk to fellow climber, first-year Onoda Sakamichi, but is intimidated. When he brings up the topic of an anime capsule toy that Onoda has, the conversation immediately turns to otaku talk. Makishima is taken aback by Onoda's constant chatter and smiles. After that, practice begins, but Onoda looks gloomy...

■Cast

Sakamichi Onoda: Daiki Yamashita / Shunsuke Imaizumi: Kosuke Toriumi / Shokichi Naruko: Jun Fukushima / Shingo Kaneshiro: Hiroki Yasumoto / Yusuke Makishima: Showtaro Morikubo / Jin Tadokoro: Kentaro Ito / Junta Teshima: Daisuke Kishio / Hajime Aoyagi: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka / Tsuji Kanzaki: Junichi Suwabe / Kanzaki Miki: Ayaka Suwa / Aya Tachibana: Megumi Han and others

■ Main staff

Planning: Ryota Kato, Yoshihiro Furusawa, Takafumi Sawa / Screenplay: Reiko Yoshida / Storyboard: Osamu Nabeshima / Director: Hideaki Oba / Character design, chief animation director: Takahiko Yoshida / Animation directors: Hiroyuki Horiuchi, Yuko Iwasa / Art director: Shunichiro Yoshihara / CG director: Takeshi Sanada / Director of photography: Takeshi Katsuyama / Sound director: Takeshi Takadera / Music: Kan Sawada / Producers: Yosuke Tsurugi, Kazutaka Yamanaka, Shingo Takekawa

■ Theme songs and music

[ED] Song title: Top of Tops! / Singer: Kanzaki Kan (CV: Ayaka Suwa) / Lyrics: Seiji Miura / Music: Hisashi Nakamura / Arrangement: Yoshihiro Kusano

Review

"Yowamushi Pedal SPECIAL RIDE" is an original video animation (OVA) based on Watanabe Wataru's popular manga "Yowamushi Pedal," which was bundled with the limited edition of the 29th volume of the manga released by Akita Shoten on August 8, 2013. Directed by Nabeshima Osamu and animated by TMS Entertainment, it is made up of 30-minute episodes. The work depicts a day in the life of the Sohoku High School Cycling Club before the Inter-High, focusing in particular on the interactions between climbers Makishima Yusuke and Onoda Sakamichi.

The story begins with Makishima talking to Onoda Sakamichi after being told by club captain Kinjo Mamoru that "you two fellow climbers should get along." Onoda becomes nervous, however, and Makishima tries to have a conversation with him by bringing up the anime capsule toy he owns. In this scene, Onoda's geeky side is emphasized, and Makishima is overwhelmed by his enthusiasm. Afterwards, practice begins, but Onoda seems to be worried about something. This episode delves deeply into the characters' relationships and individual personalities, allowing the viewer to feel their growth and conflicts.

The cast includes the same voice actors from the original TV anime series, with Yamashita Daiki as Onoda Sakamichi and Morikubo Shoutarou as Makishima Yusuke. This maintains consistency in the voices and acting of the characters, making the series familiar to fans. Additionally, screenwriter Yoshida Reiko has captured the atmosphere of the original while providing a new perspective that is unique to OVAs. Nabeshima Osamu, who both storyboarded and directed, also does a superb job of directing, effectively portraying the tension and beauty of cycling from the perspective of a climber.

The music is by Sawada Kan, and the ending theme "Top of Tops!" is sung by Suwa Ayaka, who plays Kanzaki Miki. The song features a powerful melody and lyrics that symbolize the OVA's themes of "challenge" and "growth," and it plays a role in deepening the aftertaste after viewing. In addition, the beautiful backgrounds and CG images by art director Yoshihara Shunichiro and CG director Sanada Takeshi also contribute to the quality of the work.

Recommended

"Yowamushi Pedal SPECIAL RIDE" is recommended not only for fans of the original work, but also for those interested in bicycle racing and sports anime. In particular, the story, which focuses on the relationships and growth of the characters, is sure to deeply move viewers. Another highlight is the elaborate drawings and direction that are unique to OVAs, allowing viewers to enjoy the visual beauty. Furthermore, the ending theme, "Top of Tops!", is a powerful song that symbolizes the theme of the work, and has the effect of deepening the afterglow after viewing.

This work is included in the limited edition of the 29th volume of the manga, making it a must-see for those who have read the original work. The deep character portrayals and beautiful visuals that make the most of the OVA format will be an opportunity for fans of the original work to discover new charms. In addition, the scenes depicting the tension and beauty of cycling will be a must-see for sports anime fans.

Overall, "Yowamushi Pedal SPECIAL RIDE" is a wonderful work that maximizes the charm of the original work while depicting the growth of the characters and human relationships from a new perspective. I would highly recommend it not only to fans of the original work, but also to those who want to enjoy sports anime and deep human drama.