Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road

Episode 17

You can't have Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road without the twisted, sadistic Midousuji. One viewer who tweets under the name @actual_kinjou went so far as to suggest that he might be a "mass hallucination" due to his inhuman lizard-like habits. But just when Midousuji's conniving ways were beginning to get predictable, here comes episode 17, a half hour devoted to knocking Lizardman off his game. Between his devoted upperclassman Ishigaki and new challenger Manami, this episode placed Midousuji on the defensive with verbal sparring matches that were as fun to watch as the bike racing.

“You really are pure-hearted.” If I had to play Match The Phrase To The Character It's About, Midousuji would not have been my first guess (or even second-to-last guess.) Maybe it's the exhaustion setting in, but Midousuji's insults have no effect on Ishigaki on the third day. He brushes them away with compliments and praise. Midousuji tries everything he can think of, with barbs about Ishigaki's pride or his attempts at trying to play senpai, but something about their dynamic has changed, and his acid tongue no longer holds power.

When Midousuji calls Ishigaki gross to hurt him, Ishigaki simply agrees. Somehow, this alters the balance of power back to a shaky upperclassman-lowerclassman relationship. Nothing is off limits for Ishigaki anymore, as shown in the after-the-credits extra where he speculates whether the ace has decided to go commando. (I think that's what it was. My mind went all sorts of places during that crotch shot.) What changed? On the evening of the second day, Ishigaki saw Midousuji at his worst. When Midousuji actually did come back to race after threatening not to, it was clear that even this monster has feelings.

Actually, the real monster of this episode was Manami Sangaku, Hakone's first-year climber. There's always been something a little off about Manami, ever since his introductory episode last season. (“Do you ever fantasize about getting stabbed? Just so you'll feel alive?” I'm paraphrasing, but wow.) Midousuji learns to quickly reconsider his decision to take Manami on because Midousuji's tactics rely on making his opponent uncomfortable. Manami practically takes pleasure in being uncomfortable. He loves close races, and he loves feeling short of breath. He professes to love cycling because “that's when I feel closest to death,” he explains to Midousuji with a psychotic gleam in his eye. Midousuji truly was not prepared for how weird Manami is. “You were even weirder than Manami when you joined the cycling team." -- Toudou's sick burn to Arakita in a brief flashback.

I'd be remiss not to mention Class President, the studious girl who somehow has a crush on her laid-back neighbor Manami. She's one of the female characters we rarely see in Yowapeda, and it's always refreshing to see her torn emotions over Manami, which illustrate a hidden complexity about the Hakone first-year and indicate that Manami might be a real wildcard, somebody viewers thought they had down before now, but don't.

Midousuji is definitely taken aback by both of his interactions this episode, but how he chooses to deal with it is surprising. It might even be character development! Rather than withdrawing into himself as I would have expected, Midousuji is beginning to make friends. I blame Onoda's awkward attempts at friendship earlier for this. It's a pity that Machimiya—Yowapeda's other villainous character—has disappeared into thin air, but it's refreshing to see that Midousuji was never intended to be a one-shot.

Rating: A

Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about anime and journalism at Otaku Journalist.