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Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road
Episode 19

by Lauren Orsini,

Any anime that goes on long enough is going to have multiple storylines. It's definitely a fact of shonen anime. Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road is no different, with side stories that focus on completely different characters and seem to drift away from the central idea. In these final kilometers of the Interhigh however, significant tie-ins to the very beginning of the series make it feel as if we've never drifted at all.

This episode uses flashbacks to the events of episode one and two to present a cohesive casing for the entirety of Yowamushi Pedal. Liberal rehashing of the Sohoku cyclists' early experiences can get tiring, but they do have a bookending effect on the series. Judging by the hundreds of manga chapters that follow the events of the Interhigh race, this is far from the end of the story, but the point is that it could be.

First, we see how Onoda hasn't changed, after he unwittingly gets caught up in a battle of egos. Onoda, our innocent ray of sunshine, cares only about friendship and teamwork and following orders. The power plays going on around him don't factor into his psyche. As he struggles to stick to Midousuji and Manami in an earnest effort to follow Makishima's orders and “protect the ace,” the visuals flip to Onoda's earliest race: the First Year Welcome Race from the beginning of the series. Then and now, Onoda has far more inner determination than dexterity—but the people around him are just as impressed with him now as back on Day One.

Next, we see how Imaizumi has changed, enormously so. One of our first glimpses of Imiazumi depicted a misanthropic boy biking on the rollers until he falls over, still cursing Midousuji's name. Midousuji, the man he has obsessed about defeating for years, has always been a major point of anxiety for Imaizumi. A major turning point in both this episode and Imaizumi's development as a character so far has been his ability to finally insult Midousuji back.

Today, Imaizumi seems significantly more outgoing and confident. He's undergone a transformation mid-race, some of which we saw in episode 16, and this contrasts hugely with his earliest appearances. When Onoda meets up with him and showers him with compliments, it's clear that Onoda's hero-worship of him hasn't changed. Neither has Onoda's impulse to apologize when it isn't his fault. It's Imaizumi's opinion of Onoda that flipped instead. An extremely powerful exchange occurred when Imaizumi encouraged Onoda to try for the finish line. Onoda is skeptical, but Imaizumi believes he has what it takes to win.

Everything's seemingly proceeding toward a happy ending, complete with a Souhoku win—except for one glaring wildcard. Temporarily cowed by Imaizumi's newfound confidence, Midousuji has taken his grotesqueness up a level. In one contorted pose, his belly is swollen like he's poised to give birth to a terrifying new evil. “Races are more interesting when the outcome is unclear,” Manami says this episode. We've got a wild ride ahead of us yet.

Rating: B+

Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Lauren writes about anime and journalism at Otaku Journalist.


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