10 Second Anime - Yowamushi Pedal - Grande Road - Episode 15

Yowamushi Pedal - Grande Road - Episode 15

Naruko makes a flashy impression on the crowds sprinting up a climb. His teammates watch him turn himself inside out to catch Hakone.

Heh.

Aw man, that better not have been another death montage starring Naruko.

 

I've greyed out while running before. The funny thing about it is that you can keep the tunnel vision going as long as you don't stop. I stopped, and had to hug a crosswalk light for about a minute.

 

I'm surprised, and bit annoyed, that no mentions of the handicaps the kids had at the training camp were supposed to help them. Naruko being made to use mountain bike handlebars gave him the strength and practice to ride and sprint while seated, which he used to good effect this episode.

 

I said last episode that I expected Naruko to impress even Makishima with his sprint climbing. Yup.

That's right, Onoda. Naruko had something good to eat. I like how Makishima just let that awkwardness slide.

 

Tadokoro is no dummy. Of course he told Naruko to learn how to climb. His bodyweight made that a given. Naruko wasn't having it, though.



Tadokoro said he's small enough to climb well, small like a red bean. Naruko said he didn't believe him because he was small-minded enough to try to make Naruko slower, small like a bean. They get along so well...

 

Tadokoro then tried to appeal to his pride. He could stand out so well as a sprinter who could climb too. Not many of those kinds of riders...

 



Ah, almost worked. It did eventually, though.

 

These Japanese kids don't understand pro riders at all. The sprinters love high-fiving people in the stands, as long as they're not racing for anything anymore. It's the climbers who are skittish about crowds because where they go to work, they're trying hard just to stay upright, and don't need anyone "helping" them when they could just knock them over inadvertently. Sprinters also know when to time their smiles for the camera.

 



 

Naruko definitely made some new fans up on that hill. Toudou better watch out that he doesn't start taking the fangirls away from him.

When Naruko threw out his water bottle, I knew he was going to burn himself out for the team.

 

The expressions on Naruko's teammates showed they knew he was tearing himself to pieces to get them to rejoin Hakone, and they accepted his sacrifice because he chose to do it. That doesn't mean they had to like it, but they were following Kinjou's orders to appreciate those gifts their teammates were giving them and carry their feeling to win all the way to the finish line. Naruko thought his finish line was seeing Hakone again, except he was so greyed out he couldn't make out their faces.

 

 

Hmm.

I expected Naruko to drag Sohoku up the hill, but I didn't expect him to turn it into a sacrifice. It looks like he's going to fall, but you never know what's going to be on the other side of a cliffhanger. It looks like his debut as the Red Rocketman wasn't for the finish line but for the climb. We'll see if his race is really over or not. I hope not.

 

 

Cycling Porn.

 



Let's all just ogle Naruko's swaying red Pinarello. There are two riders in recent history known for climbing in the drops. One was Marco Pantani, who specialized in using a slow climbing cadence while standing and holding on to the drops. He really did look like he was sprinting up a hill.  The other rider is Cadel Evans. He liked to sit on the saddle and sway while holding on to the drops, just like Naruko did. I wish he called his technique something other than the Armstrong Climb... Lance Armstrong climbed pretty much like Onoda - just spun his pedals as fast as he could. I hope the Armstrong title was meant to convey that Naruko was resting more of his weight on his arms, which he would have learned how to do at the training camp on those wide handlebars he was forced to use.