Rideback - Episode 4

It was only ever going to be a matter of time before Rin and her new love for Ridebacks drew her into the political side that we've been introduced to by this series, and so it goes that episode four draws her into the fight against GGP in a rather unexpected manner.

Everything starts out simply enough, with Rin going to club activities while Shouko goes shopping - Once Rin finds out that club activites have been cancelled to take the Ridebacks into the city for maintenance, she hitches a lift to catch up with Shouko in town. This is where everything gets a bit crazy, as terrorists strike the skyscraper-cum-shopping mall where Shouko is, bringing us some scenes more than a little reminiscent of 9/11.


Having been set up as rather a quiet and mild-mannered girl, I have to admit that I was rather surprised to see her grabbing "her" Rideback Fuego, and setting off to rescue Shouko despite the city being in lock-down after the terrorist attack. Of course, her skills and control with the vehicle get her into the building easily enough, but before she knows it Rin is being wrongly associated with the terrorists, and when you have an entire army breathing down your neck there isn't really much time to explain the situation...

I don't want to gush too much here, but this was a bona fide, grade A episode of Rideback. The actual terrorist attack was well portrayed, and despite taking liberties with the laws of probability (i.e. what are the chances of a girl in a dress smashing through a plate glass window without getting a cut, and getting shot at by an entire army wielding automatic weapons and not getting hit once?) the action was so breath-taking that I can forgive it all of that and recognise it simply for the adrenaline-fuelled, heart-pounding viewing experience that it was - It's been a while since an action/chase scene in anime has had me on the edge of my seat quite like this one, with the overall effect reminding me of something between The Matrix and Mirror's Edge.

I know some people have had doubts about moving Rideback's story into its political and revolutionary machinations, but if this episode is anything to go by then I really can't wait - Sure, it wasn't exactly highbrow viewing, but it was an absolutely brilliant viewing experience as these things go - Unlikely action heroine she may be, but Rin on a motorbike in that dress, pulling off ridiculous manoeuvres on a Rideback is well worth watching any day of the week.