Yowamushi Pedal has seen one of the most impressive turnarounds in anime over for a long time the last few weeks, that’s for sure.  The season was frankly sputtering, but it’s rebounded with extreme prejudice and seems primed to power to the finish in outstanding fashion.  That’s great (of course) but the funny thing is, it isn’t really surprising.  In fact I would even say it was predictable, because all Yowapeda had to do to pull it off was focus on the parts of the series that actually work – and have for four long seasons.

That begs an obvious question, which is “why did it take so long?”, but that’s something only Watanabe-sensei can answer.  Sometimes with long series there’s a tendency to mix things up for its own sake, and that’s by no means always wrong.  But Yowamushi Pedal definitely lost its way by focusing far too much on lesser characters and the dramas surrounding them.  More Onoda is always better, that’s a given, but the peculiar obsession of Midousuji-kun has become a big part of this show’s fabric too, and there’s no one else in the cast who brings what he does to the table.

Of course, this week was almost too easy  – an episode like this couldn’t help but be among the series’ best, but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable.  For my money there’s zero doubt that the relationship between Onoda-kun and Makishima is the best one in the series.  It may in fact be the best thing in Yowapeda, period.  So many of the series’ best dramatic moments have come in the form of Makishima and Sakamichi’s shared screen time, and I think it may be one of the best sempai-kouhai relationships in all of sports anime.

This ep was definitely Onoda at his most… Onoda-like.  He was just so darn loveable – this is the character that made Yowamushi Pedal work in the first place, and it still needs him to work at its best. I might question the wisdom of his chasing Maki-chan and Toudou up and down a “small” pass over and over having just ridden a brutal day of grand tour cycling (with an even more brutal one coming up).  And then there’s the matter of Makishima not even telling Onoda that he was in town – it was only the chance run-in with Toudou that had the two meet at all.  That was so… Makishima-like.

I do get why Makishima did that, not wanting to be a distraction in the middle of the race.  But ultimately it boils down to Maki-chan simply not being comfortable with over displays of emotion (though I did enjoy his reaction to Toudou stepping on his bonding moment with Onoda in the omake).  It doesn’t bother me so much now because it’s been consistent with him from the beginning.  Turns out he received every one of the tireless terrier’s letters – he just couldn’t bring himself to respond.  Anything he might have said would have been unnatural for him, so he didn’t say anything – but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t feeling the moment.  And, truthfully, it’s more comfortable for him to be open with Toudou – they’re rivals and colleagues, equals.  With Onoda it’s different – and despite turning out to be a great one, the beloved mentor role is one Makishima never learned to wear with ease.

Despite his reticence, Maki-chan did his job firing Onoda up – even if it was by accident.  Watching Makishima and his fated rival surely whetted Onoda’s appetite to finally face off with his – and that seems very likely to happen.  I love that Izumida stuck two freshmen with the job of being Manami’s minders – not that they were up to the task.  Manami is surely primed for the third day – he’s like a caged tiger at this point, and he’s more than ready to pounce.  What I’m just now realizing – and I guess I should have noticed it weeks ago because it was obvious – is that we’re not going to see this Inter-high finish in “Glory Line”.  I would imagine a fifth season is coming at some point – it sucks to have to wait for it, but it is what it is.  Will the bulk of that season be taken just with the third day of this Inter-high, I wonder?

Bromake: