Rideback - episode 1

My Thoughts
Continuing my overview of the new season, I managed to finally watch episode 1 of Rideback. It's a mecha show, and I tend to have a love-hate affair with the things. Actually, I'm not sure if this is going to be a sports show or a mecha show or some odd amalgamation of both. Probably that.

What I found most interesting is that the character design for the main protagonist is well, not beautiful. At least some of the time. On occasion, the design is really pretty, but at other times it's like, whoa, what happened to her face.

Talking about designs, the Rideback is kind an interesting machine. Again, an odd mixture of ugly and streamlined beauty. Frankly, I want one. Though I fear that a semi-sentient motorcycle would be the death of us all; we'll have to see where they go from here.

This is a show that I think I'm going to actively find time for; hopefully the story picks up.


Episode Review
The show started with a ballet of all things. The main character, Rin Ogata, is the daughter of a dead dancer, so she was expected to be the next big thing.

Well, the ballet didn't go so well, and she tore a tendon, and because she would never be up to her mother's level of dancing, decided against continuing the dance stuff.

So, being a bit emo, she goes to school, and lives in a dorm with a childhood friend. After a picture of a bunch of sakura blossoms, and bits and peices of back story, we get Rin talking to her grandmother, where we discover that her brother hasn't been going to home (he lives with the grandmother or something).

Some more emoing when a couple fan girls show up, and Rin runs off. Just in time to get caught in a rain storm. Taking shelter in a garage, she is introduced to the Rideback. When it stops raining, the Rideback geek in the shelter convinces her to get on (she flashes him in the process) and then off she goes on the Rideback. Of course, she's a natural on the machine; at least until she throws herself off the end of a road under construction.

The episode ends there, with a big smile on Rin's face.