It’s funny – I can barely remember the last time I actually got a comment on a Yowapeda post.  The digests, sure, but those were for whatever it was paired with – be that FMP or Gegege no Kitarou.  Some of it is sequel fatigue I suppose – that happens even to powerhouses like Steins;Gate.  Maybe some of it is the inconsistency the series has flashed this season.  But now Yowamushi Pedal seems to have found its cadence, and it’s back to solo riding – even if it’s not getting much of any attention round these parts.

While I’m quite pleased with the overall product the last few weeks – this is classic Yowapeda in every way that matters – I was still quite irritated by the whole “ace” thing.  I think it has to be asked – why is Imaizumi the ace of Sohoku, exactly?  In what way is he a stronger overall rider than Onoda?  He certainly hasn’t done nearly as much to help his team – or his teammates – over the course of the last two Inter-highs or in-between them.  Which rider would you want contesting a finish if you were the captain of Sohoku?  For me that’s an easy answer.

Apart from that issue, it was Naruko who was the real hero here.  Not only did he latch onto the lead pack and stay there against all odds, he actually managed to slow down the KyoFushi breakaway a bit and help his two teammates catch up.  Yeah, it stretches credulity that he’d be able to hold off Midousuji and Mizuta for as long as he did, but it made for good drama.  Imaizumi is pretty much riding coattails here – first Onoda, now Natuko – but he, he’s the’s ace.  I suppose some might say it was dirty tricks for Chimera-kun to finish off Naruko the way he did, but under the circumstances I think it was justified.

It’s kind of ironic that Onoda ends up dragging not just Imaizumi to the front, but Hakone Gakuen as well.  Ashikiba is impressive here – not so much for his riding but for his cool under fire, which is really necessary because Shinkai minor really starts to lose it when Onoda puts on the pressure.  As for Chimer-kun the pressure is really on him, too – all his best-laid plans are blowing up in his face.  I think it’s worth asking, though – is it really wise for Midousuji to use up and discard his top lieutenants in pursuit of the Day 2 tag?  What exactly does he have in mind here, given that the ultimate goal is surely to win the race itself?  Maybe he figures he can do it all solo on the final day, but that seems like a pretty foolhardy strategy for a cunning operator like him.  In any event I really feel for poor, simple Mizuta here – often I find Midousuji’s single-minded obsession with winning oddly admirable, but this was just dastardly.

One thing that doesn’t get talked about enough, I think, is how good Yamashita Daiki is in this series – and generally, for that matter. This season finds him voicing both his signature characters, Onoda and Midoriya Izuku, and doing so brilliantly.  It’s hard to imagine anyone else in either role now, and while there are undeniable similarities between these two boys they’re actually starkly different characters.  And Yamashita-san manages to not just deliver the impassioned intensity, but the nuance of the person behind it.

Otakumake: