Rinkai! — Episode 9 — 10 Second Anime

Sachi Nagoya fulfilled her dream of becoming a professional track cyclist, but what comes next? What motivates her to win?

Episode 9 — “I Don’t Know!”

Hmm.

Sprinters are losers. That’s not me insulting professional athletes. That’s what Jin Tadokoro told Touichirou Izumida in Yowamushi Pedal. Tadokoro’s point was only one sprinter in a race can win, but sprinters are crazy. They take those failures as fuel for motivation. Then they win! Rinkai! explores the same psychology among track cyclists through a corporate lens with Sachi Nagoya. Imagine how easy it would be to win a track race if you only had to present a business plan. Attend a meeting with the other sprinters and show a bar chart with increasing revenues, then profit! Everybody wins! Uh. No. There’s still only one winner per race, but the bettors can win.

Sachi’s father had a point, though. Every athlete needs a training system and a race season’s goals. In Rinkai!’s episode, the show leans heavily on the reputation of Nagoya as a top-three Japanese financial industry hub, along with Osaka and Tokyo. Instead of a training journal, Sachi writes up a business proposal! As you can see, the corporate Nagoya family works with the vocabulary they know. She needed to maximize her ROI! I enjoyed how the elder Nagoya knew how to focus his daughter’s mind to navigate a more successful route to victory.

But what was the best part of the elder Nagoya awakening Sachi’s business acumen? He told her to reassess herself, and Sachi recalled what her friends and rivals said in the Rinkai! episode. The hint of a winning solution: Make your foes fear you. It’s all right to be accommodating and polite outside the racetrack. But when you’re in it? Sachi learned to be more selfish and ruthless in a race. Just like a successful corporate raider from Nagoya should be.

We should take one lesson from Sachi’s experience: Always keep dreaming. Sachi achieved her dream of becoming a professional track cyclist. But what next? Find a new dream. Every season! Having a system of success is better than having a goal to achieve. Minor victories, larger goals, and career accomplishments will follow no matter what.

Heh.

Midori’s doting father immediately offers tips and critiques for her race-winning daughter. Sachi’s father asks pointed questions about her racing career. Why is she not winning like Nana as a neo-pro? Is she a mediocre racer? Or does she lack the eye of the tiger? Ah. It looks like the tiger cub took a nap. Aw. Sachi’s older twin brothers are her biggest fans. Aha. Papa Nagoya appears disappointed in Sachi, but he’s not. He notices her disappointment in herself and wants her to draft a company rescue plan. After all the platitudes, professional track cycling is a business. Sachi must raise her market capitalization to satisfy her shareholders. Those would be the gamblers at the track, according to Rinkai!.

Fun! Sachi’s pro cycling muscle senpais are so helpful and encouraging! They call her an “all-rounder” for her riding type. Nana offered a vital insight into Sachi’s riding — she believes Sachi will never pass her. Why? Sachi is too kind to others. Don’t be like that in a race.

Sachi is a good Nagoya Group employee. The CEO told her to write a business plan, so she executed it. She has a bar chart, “strong points,” and “weak points” in her report. Compelling television — writing a PowerPoint deck in a family restaurant in a sports anime. Yay! Miko. She figured out her winning method on the road to the Rookie Final in the last Rinkai! episode. The former idol knows how to take Gramworthy dessert shots. Miko tells Sachi the same news that Nana told her. The Drafting Princess can pass her, even though Sachi has a higher top speed. Sachi doesn’t scare Miko. The Nagoya ojousama needs to develop an intimidation factor.

I like how Sachi tested different strategies to win, but they didn’t work out. Her first report to her dad was a failure, too. Sachi needs to devise a system that bettors would invest in. She needs short-term and long-term strategies for performance growth. She also needs persuasive arguments. They are what her father really wants from her. Everything else is a “fake because.” All Sachi needs is a belief in herself and the motivation to win. I like how Papa Nagoya lets her struggle to find her own answers.

Look! A road bike in Rinkai!. Sachi asked her L14 classmates why they became track cyclists. The best answer? Sora Iwakitaira wished to eat tasty food in various places! Sachi’s dream of becoming a pro cyclist came true. Also, she established independence from her family through this career. But is that it? After looking through the data of her races so far, Sachi found a recurring theme. She let others win. What if she stopped doing that? Get fired up and stay selfish. Is there a feminine, flowery way to put that? Of course not. Winners are greedy and want only victory. Sachi needs to practice that feeling. Her second report to her dad conveyed the fire in her belly. Her older brothers love her so much.

Next race. Can Sachi beat Izumi? Almost! Izumi liked the look in her eyes, too.

Epilogue time. Crash! Did Remi Hiroshima watch it or fall herself? Next time, which of the Tackle Channel girls works out her way to win? It should be Kinusa because we don’t have to worry about Izumi. The ace of the L13 term somehow connects to the former yoga instructor.