Rideback - Episode 9

After dumping Rin and Tenshirou into the midst of a terrorist versus GGP battle last time around, with the latter getting shot in the arm and the former sitting around daydreaming as the bullets flew, I thought we were perhaps going to be regaled with an action-packed instalment of Rideback here.

Well, I sure got that one wrong, with this episode instead choosing to build things slowly but surely. Come the start of this episode, we see that Rin and Tenshirou have indeed escaped from GGP's clutches, finding themselves at a safehouse provided by Tamayo. Meanwhile, the GGP backlash against their eventual defeat by the terrorists in said battle is vicious, engaging martial law, locking down the entire city and confiscating every Rideback that they can get their hands on despite mounting protests from both the Japanese government and its general populace.


You can probably tell how much of a slow burner this episode was when I tell you that this is more or less all that happened in this episode, aside from Rin swearing never to drive a Rideback again and a few other sundries to progress the plot. I'm all for ratcheting up the tension before the real "fun" begins, but I can't help but wonder if there's been altogether too much ratcheting in recent episodes of this series and not enough of the good stuff. Let's be honest, most of us are watching this show to see people doing cool things with Ridebacks over and above any political machinations, and there has been a distinct lack of the latter ever since Rin's fabulous rescue of Shouko during the terrorist attack in the city. Still, the action I demand must be coming soon now... Right?