Rideback - Episode 2

My positive feelings towards the first episode of Rideback were directed more towards the potential of the series than the actual content or storyline of its opener (which was pretty run of the mill), but nonetheless it was an enjoyable if undemanding piece of anime to watch.

With this in mind, episode two is really simply more of the same. While Rin has clearly fallen in love after her first Rideback driving experience (however dangerous it may has been), she seems a little reticent to commit herself to more, despite an official invite to join the school club. Thus, it takes a little competitive instinct to bring out Rin's desire to prove herself, and this comes courtesy of the Rideback club president, Tamayo, who has already done her homework on Rin and thus challenges her to a race when she finally finds herself unable to resist stopping by the club's garage again. So, the scene is set for Rin to prove her worth, after doing plenty of research on riding techniques online, and from here we get a pretty typical racing-themed episode which is more or less predictable from beginning to end.


However, that predictability doesn't stop it from being fun to watch. The blending of hand-drawn and CG animation is pretty much seamless, the overall aesthetic is excellent, the Rideback designs are cool and all of the characters are pretty likeable (if again unspectacular) in their own ways. This all combines to provide us with a series that isn't likely to win any awards for innovation (unless giving motorbikes arms counts), but still looks likely to leave a smile on my face on account of presenting itself expertly and aiming squarely at providing a sufficient "Woah, cool" factor to keep me watching and enjoying.