Long Riders VS Minami Kamakura Koukou Joshi Jitenshabu

It was inevitable. When I watched 2 series that had cute girls doing cute things, bicycle version, back to back a while ago, a versus blog between Long Riders and Minami Kamakura Koukou Joshi Jitenshabu was expected. Yeah, better do it before my favourite pastime of procrastinating catches up with me and then I start to forget a big chunk of it down the road.

The new noob amateur cyclist:
Imagine suddenly getting interested in cycling when you see somebody else doing it…
Long Riders: Ami Kurata.
Minami Kamakura: Hiromi Maiharu.

Her bicycle name:
Hey, it could’ve been worse…
Long Riders: Ponta-kun.
Minami Kamakura: Unico.

Her other fellow cyclists:
Long Riders: Aoi Niigaki, Hinako Saijou, Yayoi Ichinose and Saki Takamiya.
Minami Kamakura: Tomoe Akizuki, Higa Natsumi and Fuyune Kamikura.

Newest team member:
Long Riders: Miya Saeki. Joined in the final scenes in episode 12.
Minami Kamakura: Sandy McDougal. Joined around somewhere in episode 9.

Team name:
Long Riders: Team Fortuna.
Minami Kamakura: Uhm, pretty much obvious. The entire series is named after them, no?

Team jersey designer:
Long Riders: Ami
Minami Kamakura: Yuika Akizuki.

Education level:
Long Riders: University/college.
Minami Kamakura: High school.

Team advisor:
Long Riders: Nil.
Minami Kamakura: Shiki Mori.

Bicycle shop owner.
Long Riders: Alpaca manager who runs Alpaca Cycle.
Minami Kamakura: Korone Hououji who runs Cycle Flat.

The one often lacking stamina:
Can you also believe both of them experienced leg cramps?
Long Riders: Ami.
Minami Kamakura: Fuyune.

The glutton:
Long Riders: Saki.
Minami Kamakura: Hiromi.

The bespectacled one:
Long Riders: Yayoi.
Minami Kamakura: Tomoe.

Most athletic one:
Long Riders: Saki.
Minami Kamakura: Natsumi.

Sisters:
Long Riders: Ami and Emi.
Minami Kamakura: Shiki and Nagisa, Fuyune and Rei, Tomoe and Yuika.

Similar looking:
At least they are to me.
Long Riders: Aoi and Saki.
Minami Kamakura: Hiroko Azuma and Riri Oshino. Almost forgot, Natsumi and Su.

Alpaca:
Long Riders: The bicycle shop owner. Wears a headgear like one.
Minami Kamakura: One of the cycling lackeys who frequents Nagisa’s bakery.

First location tour:
Long Riders: Miura.
Minami Kamakura: Enoshima.

First big race:
Long Riders: Azumi Autumn Ride (AAR).
Minami Kamakura: Night Criterium.

How the team finished:
Long Riders: Last. At least they completed the ride.
Minami Kamakura: Hiromi crosses the finish line to win it for her team.

Final tour:
The last tour we see the team ride for the season.
Long Riders: A 2 day cycling trip to Shimanami Kaidou.
Minami Kamakura: A tour at Miura Peninsula.

Uphill battle:
Long Riders: Ami’s first practice at Miura has lots of uphill cycling. Then at Yabitsu Pass. Then at AAR.
Minami Kamakura: Hiromi being challenged by Hiroko over Natsumi. Later another similar challenge by Kuma AKA Sandy.

Speeding downhill:
Long Riders: Episode 7 whereby Saki recalls how she was speeding downhill and didn’t brake periodically. She flew off at the turn of the corner but lady luck was on her side as the leaves broke her fall.
Minami Kamakura: In episode 10, Fuyune relishes speeding downhill since it makes her ride easier. Thankfully, Shiki reminds her and the rest to not go so fast because it is dangerous.

Revenge battle:
Long Riders: Ami tackling Yabitsu Pass again. She conquers it.
Minami Kamakura: Sandy challenging Hiromi again for her defeat at Night Criterium. Challenge ended up being abandoned.

Cosplay shenanigans:
Long Riders: Saki’s parents run a Chinese restaurant and force her to cosplay in various outfits. I guess higher pay > pride.
Minami Kamakura: A cosplay club was banned due to wearing skimpy outfit for an event. Hence participating in Night Criterium to restore their credentials.

Flat tyre:
Long Riders: Episode 5 (Ami), episode 10 (Emi) and episode 12 (Saeki).
Minami Kamakura: Episode 2 (Natsumi) and episode 11 (Fuyune).

Bath scene:
Long Riders: In episode 8, Team Fortuna soaks in the hotspring the night before AAR begins.
Minami Kamakura: In episode 10, Sandy barges her way into Hiromi’s house to bath together the night before their tour at Miura Peninsula begins.

WOAH!!! I’m flying!!!:
OMFG… Better than hallucinatory drugs…
Long Riders: Ami sprouting angel wings in episode 5 after testing out her newly bought road bicycle.
Minami Kamakura: Hiromi being taken for a night flight by a flying unicorn after winning Night Criterium.

International pursuits:
Long Riders: France maybe. Since it is their dream to participate in brevet or fleche.
Minami Kamakura: The girls head to Taiwan to find out more about the local bicycle system, YouBike.

Number of episodes:
Long Riders: 12 episodes.
Minami Kamakura: 12 episodes + 1 OVA.

Animation studio:
Long Riders: Actas.
Minami Kamakura: J.C. Staff & A.C.G.T.

Conclusion:
To be honest, I’m not really a bicycle or cycling fan so I can’t say which one is better. Both have some nice sceneries and employ the use of CGI too. But if you’re talking about which one has more bicycle tips, then it is Minami Kamakura Koukou Joshi Jitenshabu because they have a whole section at the end of the episode to explain to you some basic bicycle stuffs. Long Riders just have it sparingly in between the episodes. Also, if you want to see more development among the bicycle enthusiasts, Minami Kamakura Koukou Joshi Jitenshabu offers more of that compared to Long Riders which mainly focuses on the rides. At the end of the day, if you’re not really inspired to get a bicycle or even do some moderate cycling, it means you’re really not into cycling anyway. Just like yours truly. I came here for the cute girls, not the bicycles ;p.

Minami Kamakura Koukou Joshi Jitenshabu

As part of my second mini trilogy of cute girls doing cute things, bike version, before I watch the blatant Honda promoting Super Cub anime, hence some of you might see it coming that Minami Kamakura Koukou Joshi Jitenshabu would be next in line after my stint with Long Riders very recently. Just as the title even suggests, you know the drill of what to expect from this series. I mean, what more do you expect when a high school girl suddenly takes interest in cycling and decides to delve more into this two-wheeled hobby? Yeah, reminds me of how I got into anime and now I’m stuck and can’t get out… Oops, got side-tracked there.

Episode 1
Hiromi Maiharu just moved from Nagasaki to Kamakura and will be starting her first year in high school here. Mom is worried that she hasn’t rode a bicycle in ages and she intends to cycle one to school now? Yeah, she is confident the body remembers. So as she begins her first cycling in ages, damn, this girl really forgot how to cycle! Could’ve crashed into Tomoe Akizuki had not she reminded her to hit the brakes! So yeah, Hiromi crashes herself. After admitting she has forgotten how to ride, since they have some time before the entrance ceremony, Tomoe agrees to teach her how to ride. Yeah, looks like she needs to start from the top. Just when Hiromi is about to lose confidence, Tomoe has her try one more time. And just like that, she is now riding like a pro! I guess Hiromi is tired to they continue walking to school and Tomoe welcomes her by showing the awesome beach. Meanwhile a cyclist all geared up seems to be lost. She too is on her way to Minami Kamakura High School. Recognizing the uniforms of Hiromi and Tomoe, they help point out to Shiki Mori who is also a teacher, where the school is. Hiromi eats her sandwich but those damn black kite raptors steal her lunch! Not to be outdone, she eats another sandwich while trying to outrun those raptors! Good news for our girls because they’re in the same class. During the entrance ceremony, Hiromi gets anxious thinking she’ll be alone and eventually end up as a hikikomori. WTF. You read too many manga and watched too many anime! Thankfully, she did not forget about Tomoe. Duh! You better not forget your first friend you made right here. And their homeroom teacher is Shiki. What are the chances, man? After school, noticing that many people in town ride bicycles, Hiromi wants to confidently ride like that to go anywhere. Okay then. Time for Tomoe sensei to continue teaching her till she can ride one without help.

Episode 2
Tomoe is such a great friend. Yeah, she’s going to give Hiromi a personal tour of Kamakura. But first, they need to get a bicycle. So is Hiromi’s bicycle really out of commission that she had to get another one? Oh well, money’s not an issue, I suppose… Since Shiki is also here, might as well she join in the tour as she is also new in town. Yeah, get ready your paper and pen to take notes about bicycle gears. Meanwhile Fuyune Kamikura is stuck in traffic. Realizing a bicycle zooming past her, she decides to head to a bicycle shop to get one! Rich girls… It must be one tiring tour since Shiki falls asleep during the break! While waiting, Hiromi decides to borrow Tomoe’s new bicycle to ride around. Don’t worry. She won’t trash it. However… She gets lost!!! Don’t worry, they’ll just call her. Well, she forgot to bring her handphone!!! As she needs to head to a certain shrine, luckily a grandma points it out at the top of the hill. Shiki calls her sister, Nagisa who runs a bakery to find a lost cyclist. Hence she sends her cycling lackeys, Sabaya, Alpaca and Tootsie to go look for her. After they leave, Natsumi Higa rides by. Her tyre is punctured. Too bad the bicycle shop next to the bakery is closed as the owner is away overseas. Nagisa has some basic experience in fixing bicycles so she helps out. Also at the same time, Fuyune arrives and mistakes Nagisa’s shop to be a bicycle store. Sorry, no bicycles for sale. Only bread. After fixing Natsumi’s bicycle, Fuyune is interested to try it. She finds her road bicycle very different than the usual. Meanwhile Hiromi reaches the shrine but is the wrong one. Luckily a loli there knows where the shrine she is looking for is. But as she is about to lead her there, the cycling lackeys have found her as they guide her back to Nagisa’s place. Now that they’re all here and learning that Natsumi and Fuyune are from the same school, looks like the Kamakura tour will be continuing. Nagisa has a spare bicycle for Fuyune. To Enoshima, ladies! We see that grandma and loli are family and guess what? They are Tomoe’s family members too! What a small world.

Episode 3
It’s that time when first years need to choose a club because it’s a requirement of the school. I guess these girls need to give other clubs a chance… Or did they seriously not think first that cycling is a good enough club to join? Too bad we see them suck at basketball and swimming club try outs. Are you sure you girls are athletic enough? Natsumi, maybe. Oh look, it’s Fuyune at the infirmary. She claims she cannot walk?! Oh, the exaggeration. The last time that cycling tour to Enoshima, Fuyune experienced crams in her legs and had to give up and return home. So as the quartet go look for other clubs to join (WTF, they have a rocket club too?!), they see a pathway to a cosy place. Hiromi is shocked to see a dead elder lady inside but it turns out she is the school’s principal and Fuyune’s grandma. She was sleeping with the headphones. Phew. As they look around, they notice old photos of the principal and her friends during their younger days. Hey, they were all part of the cycling club back in the 70’s? Yeah, lots of cycling adventures here and there. This was their clubroom. WTF HIROMI?! YOU THINK BICYCLES EXISTED THAT FAR BACK?! OMFG!!! YOU KILLIN’ ME!!! The principal also talks how their bicycles are more of touring bikes because they can put luggage. Things weren’t so convenient back then so they had to carry luggage and stuffs. It was like their very own adventure. However the club gradually died out with members leaving and the motorization of Japan’s transport industry with booming automobiles, bullet trains and airplanes everywhere. The age of speed. By the time she became principal, this clubroom was abandoned so she cleaned up and fixed it and got lost in her own mini nostalgia of hers. Fuyune then decides to create a cycling club. Wait. You mean the entire school has no such club?! Maybe that’s why our girls didn’t think of joining one because they couldn’t find one! With everyone agreeing to join, and just like that the club is established. However since the principal says they can do more than just cycling, hence it is a bicycle club. The principal hands them the keys to this place. It’s your clubroom now, the Minami Kamakura Girls Bicycle Club!

Episode 4
Everyone is welcoming Shiki to the club, treating her nicely with great food. I take it. Something must be up. Yup, they want her to be the advisor of their newly formed bicycle club. Has she got a reason to say no? And with that, the club is a whole now. Yay! Later as they are discussing some bicycle stuffs, Hiroko Azuma approach them and isn’t pleased. She is a second year from the swimming club and isn’t happy that she heard Natsumi is joining this bicycle club rather than the swimming club. Natsumi didn’t say she would join but since Hiroko won’t give up on new potential members, they’ll have to settle this via bicycle race. But why is Hiromi racing against Hiroko?! What’s this twisted logic to counter balance? Hiroko will be racing on Hiromi’s bicycle while Hiromi will be doing it on Natsumi’s road bicycle. Hiroko knows Hiromi sucks because she saw her practising with Tomoe on the first day of school. Oh sh*t… Besides if this was a swimming competition, Hiroko would’ve beat her flat. Besides, does Hiromi know how to swim?! Hiroko even gives lots of handicaps for Hiromi like a head start. You better win this. The first one reaching the top of this hill wins. Yeah, Hiromi already screaming all the way as Natsumi gives a push start. When Hiroko starts a minute later, it seems she cannot find the power to peddle faster. They thought she is a swimmer and hence no good on land but Shiki points out because of her seat position, Hiroko cannot use her muscles to its maximum potential. So an uphill battle for Hiroko? Slowpoke Hiromi so slow that Natsumi could even run behind her. Oh look, Hiroko just catching up. In the final stretch, Hiroko manages to devise a loophole by sitting on the back seat. This gives her more peddle power as she crosses the finishes line and beats Hiromi by a whisker. Aww, shucks. Natsumi has to leave the bicycle club now? Well actually, no. Hiroko notes that she was trying to test their resolve. Now that she feels better after winning, Natsumi is free to join any club she wishes. Hooray! Bicycle club still intact. But if it ever disbands, Hiroko will take Natsumi. Later, the girls meet with Yuika who is Tomoe’s little sister as she has designed team outfits for them. Wow. So fast? The club is really flying off. Until it comes to a grinding halt when the principal disapproves it! What gives?!

Episode 5
Before you jump to conclusions, the principal continues that the club needs to achieve something great and produce some results in 3 months or the club status will be revoked and it will just be a circle. I guess there’s a difference. And it’s just so freaking subjective on what they’re supposed to achieve… I suppose cycling around leisurely and having fun isn’t considered an achievement… What spoilsport… As the girls hang out at the bakery and contemplate about things, they wonder when the manager of the bicycle shop next door is going to return. Oh wait. You mean this little kid, Korone Hououji is the manager?! Oh, she’s an adult! A legal loli, huh? Make that legal cat girl loli. Kawaii… Korone was away at Taiwan for a bicycle expo. A typhoon delayed her return by a day. After hearing out their problem, Korone opens her shop for them to look around so they can choose a bicycle. Behold! This is what a real bicycle shop looks like. Now, take out your pen and paper because Korone with her helper, Tsuru Kotobuki are going to give you girls a lesson about the different types of bicycles. Essentially, there are none that is built for all purpose as each modern bicycle has its own personality depending on your use. Of course we also get to the price. The lighter the frame, the more expensive it is. Korone gives them the freedom to test out any bicycle they want and see if they like it. After a few test runs, Tomoe and Fuyune find their favourite bicycle. Hiromi needs to look a little bit longer. Oh yeah, you can tell that there is a certain bicycle that is calling out to her. Pick me! Pick me! You won’t regret it! And after a test run, she really likes this one. This is her destiny! Her soul mate! Yeah. Wait till you see the price. OMFG! It’s this expensive?! Welcome to the real world. Well, do you want to work and sacrifice cycling time to afford it? At least she didn’t ask a rich girl for help. Principles. Or maybe she’ll just get another one… But the girls still need to find an event to produce results. Great timing as Shiki is here. The principal passed her a flyer that may interest them. Kamakura Cup, Night Criterium?

Episode 6
Korone has fixed Tomoe and Fuyune’s bicycles to give them the extra oomph in their performance. Because Hiromi is going to ride her ordinary bicycle for Night Criterium, Korone takes her measurements and then lends her a bicycle for the event. Think of it as service for her pals buying 2 bicycles from her shop. And just in time, the team jersey is here so everyone tries it out and they’re looking dashing in those outfits. Got to credit Yuika for the cute designs, right? Yeah, don’t say any misleading stuffs that would make the loli cry! The evening of the event, the participants register. Oh, Korone also selling yakisoba here? Extra side income is always welcomed. The girls are also surprised to see Hiroko here. Hey, she is participating as well? You see, recently there has been a standoff between sporting clubs about recruiting newbies. Many accuse the other of stealing their potential new members. Hence the principal suggested this Night Criterium to settle disputes. Yeah, I guess the logic is that since the school has no bicycle club, this is the only ‘fair’ event they can challenge on. So not only the sports clubs but other non-sports clubs like music, literature and cosplay clubs too?! WTF?! Is this a school event thingy? Maybe. No wonder the principal is also attending and co-hosting this. Hiroko also warns them that since this event is like a ‘home ground’ to the bicycle club, all other clubs are targeting them. Oh sh*t. More pressure! But WTF?! The flag off will be in stages as the junior grades will go fast and the seniors last. When it begins, it looks like Natsumi has problems. Something about her peddle being jammed. By the time she manages to get going, the second group gets moving and she is pushed aside. Yup, she falls down. WTF, nobody cares?! Only Hiromi. Yeah, she returns to help her up. By that time the seniors have already started. Tomoe and Fuyune also return to help since they’re not so heartless. This is their first ride together as a club so that’s that. Also, they remind Hiromi not to just toss her bicycle like that. It’s rented, remember! With everyone cheering them (I hope it’s not because of the friendship drama), the bicycle club girls finally get going.

Episode 7
With Sabaya’s drones, the audience gets to watch the action around the mini circuit. With our bicycle club girls dead last, how will they catch up? Oh yes, remember Shiki’s lessons about slipstreaming? Yup. Time to do that and pick up the pace. And also some peddle thingy. I mean, they better at least finish in the top because it would be an insult if they don’t. Hey look, they have better bicycles, better equipment and accessories and even in team jersey (cycling experience may be questionable) compared to other clubs who are riding normal bikes and in their track jerseys! Yeah, those other cyclists look more like clones! So you bet the bicycle club girls better win this! First reprieve is that a corner has a tangle because a few participants refuse to give way and they all crash and ended up entangled. WTF!!! SELFISH PEOPLE! This allows our heroines to pass but Hiroko waiting for them to pass? Because she finds it more fun once she overtakes them from the back! But some cyclists seem to have good riding experience as they are keeping up the pace. Why? Because Korone gave them some tips for buying her food! But don’t worry, because Hiromi was her biggest foodie customer, she also told our heroines some tips. Basically on how to take corners and accelerate after that. Yeah, they’re making good use of it now. Advice is one thing, but if they’re amateurs, how the f*ck can they pull it off so skilfully at first go?! Assuming this is their first race, right?! Sighs… Anyway… So as they catch up to the leading pack and the laps dwindling, the one leading this race by a mile is a bear from the cosplay club?! I mean, HOW?! WHAT NONSENSE IS THIS?! HOW CAN SHE RIDE THIS FAST AND FAR IN THAT GETUP!!! A FULL BEAR OUTFIT???!!! So I guess it’s time for our heroines to hatch a strategy. Because Tomoe and Fuyune are losing strength, they rope in the rocket club girls to help. Basically they’re going to be expended rocket boosters for Natsumi and Hiromi to cross the finish line. They’ll peddle as fast as they can to create the slipstream path and then drop out once their energy is finished. It’s the only way they could win this. Okay, don’t waste their efforts. And Hiromi starting to think everybody’s doing everything for her and she’s questioning what she can do for everyone. Ask what your bicycle club can do for you, but what you can do for your bicycle club! Sheesh…

Episode 8
With the rocket club girls expending their fuel, it’s time for Fuyune to do her part. Only, she has leg cramps now! Oh dear. Looks like Tomoe has to take it from here. After that boost, Natsumi and Hiromi now manage to catch up to Kuma. Finally they pass her! I guess it’s time for Natsumi to bow out since her shoulders are giving pain. Yeah, must be from that fall. It is the last lap and Hiroko has also caught up. This is thanks to her swimming club girls blocking the other groups behind. I suppose such hindrance isn’t a crime in cycling races. As they’re on the final lap, on the final sharp turn corner, how the f*ck can Hiromi forget what she’s doing all this time???!!! 9 laps ago she’s doing the same thing and now she forgot how to take the corner?! WTF?! Oh, but thank goodness for the voices of her ‘ghost’ friends from the bicycle club. Their advice make her know what to do. The final stretch has Hiroko using Kuma as a big wind resistance to catch up to Hiromi. A mad dash to the finish line! Who is it going to be?! Hiromi ‘cheated’ because her ‘ghost’ friends gave her a slight push to cross the finish line by a whisker!!! Oh yeah! The bicycle club wins!!! Phew. So yeah, this is what you can do for your friends, Hiromi. Win this damn thing! During the presentation ceremony, the grand prize is a new bicycle frame. WTF, it looks like a unicorn?! Definitely Hiromi dreaming. Yeah, flying unicorn takes her on a night flight above Kamakura. Dream’s over when she falls off. After Natsumi gets treated at the hospital, she is approached by Fuyune’s sister, Rei. She saw the whole event online. Rei has a weak disposition and spends most of her time in hospital. So when Fuyune wanted to help, Rei requested to just show her sights on her 2 feet. And hence that is why Fuyune took up cycling. She hopes Natsumi could continue to be friends with her. But of course. The other girls see a recruitment poster of the cosplay club with Kuma as the main model. It is explained that the cosplay club wore a very skimpy outfit in an event and incurred the wrath of the principal who banned them from participating in outside activities for months. So with Kuma’s third place finish an incredible achievement for the club, the suspension was shortened and their club activities resumed today. The criterium was supposed to have an expert category after that but since it rained, it was cancelled. Shiki was to take part in it for some cool parts as grand prize. But Korone is willing to give her those parts for free since her regulars often come to buy the latest parts and discard the old ones which aren’t really that old to begin with. Also, Korone is fixing a new bicycle for Hiromi so please keep this a secret, okay?

Episode 9
The first years will have a field trip orientation. Basically they have to go around Kamakura and visit some local sites to get stamps. Once they’ve got all 7 of them (sorry, not Dragonballs), they have to return to school to finish the programme. Conveniently, they are grouped by their clubs so it is great chance for the bicycle club to get some achievement. So that Night Criterium didn’t do the trick? At the same time, everyone nominates Tomoe to be the club president due to her astounding leadership during Night Criterium. After visiting a few landmarks, suddenly Kuma jump scares them and wants to challenge! Apparently she is not pleased with her loss at Night Criterium and wants a revenge match. Here we go again. Another uphill challenge of Hiromi vs Kuma. I guess Hiromi doesn’t want to ruin the sightseeing so halfway she manages to convince Kuma to just stop and enjoy the scenery. Because of that, Kuma unmasks herself. She is an American, Sandy McDougal. Admitting she lost to her passion this time, Sandy also enjoys cycling and wants to join their club. But wasn’t she in the cosplay club? Nope. She was just picked to represent them. So with permission and all, Sandy becomes a provisional member of the club as they continue their sightseeing-cum-stamp collecting. Since they have lots of time to spare and Fuyune’s cramps are working up, they take a break at the beach. Oh, what’s this Korone riding a horse?! Tsuru’s family runs a horse trekking business and today’s the cycling shop is closed. Care for a ride? Hiromi and Sandy take up the offer and don’t worry, Sandy has horse riding experience back in Colorado. Yeah, the Rockies! As usual, Sandy says she loves Japan because of anime and manga, the reason why she is here. Don’t worry about the different custom, look how well she is speaking the language! Save for that ‘fake’ foreigner tone. Heh. Once done and Fuyune ‘healed’, they go get their last stamp. Good news for them as they have finished early and still more time to kill, it’s more cycling then!

Episode 10
Hiromi’s new road bicycle is completed! Thanks to Nagisa calling her regulars to donate parts they don’t want, you bet it would be fixed in no time. Besides, it costs nothing for Hiromi since it’s all used parts. Best day ever! Oh, she’s calling it Unico?! I bet I know where she got that name from… Best gift ever for winning the Night Criterium. Now the girls need to talk about their next activity. As Shiki suggests, a touring trip. But can they take their bicycles on planes or trains? Modern bicycles are light and can be disassembled and assembled quickly. Since Sandy doesn’t have a road bicycle, how? Korone throws in a great offer that if they buy packing bags, she can rent one to her. Suspicious Hiromi asks… That’s going to cost, right?! Well, thankfully since they won the Night Criterium, they’ve received some funds. What do you mean the club is just partially recognized?! They won and that’s quite an achievement, so do you not think they should be recognized?! After Shiki shows them how to pack disassembled bicycles into the bags, they check for a place to tour. Miura Peninsula. That night as Hiromi takes a nice bath in her home, suddenly WTF Sandy barges into bath with her?! Yeah, mom let her in… Shameless American very imposing. Shy Japanese very obliging. Well, enjoy this ‘fanservice’. That’s as much as we can get. So the Miura Peninsula trip is here. Sandy got a jersey thanks to Tomoe lending her one as Yuika made an extra set. Everyone is excited and raring to go until Shiki ‘warns’ them to be prepared since they’ll be cycling in less urban areas where they could run into trouble. And just like that the girls go to the toilet or stock up on water. Better safe than sorry. Then the rest is a fun touring ride around the place. As they stop to rest, I guess Hiromi and Sandy are so tired and fell asleep. When they wake up, Shiki’s gone?! Apparently she went ahead to their next destination herself. That’s because she thinks it’s a great idea for them to bond and do things on their own instead of relying on her. Yeah, getting lost is part of the package. Getting lost is fun? Don’t worry, if they really get into trouble, just call her and she’ll be right there. Okay then. Time to move forward. Because bicycles can’t go backwards. Oh Hiromi, you say the darnest things!

Episode 11
As the bicycle club girls continue their journey, a group of veteran cyclists passes them. WTF this evokes Sandy’s inner competitiveness because she doesn’t like to be passed?! And so she drags Hiromi to chase after them. Of course as you can see no matter how hard they peddle, the veterans are still faster than them. Since they recognize Hiromi as the Night Criterium’s winner, they decide to slow down and give them some advice. Yup, pretty good advice on their riding posture as well as how to ride uphill without being exhausted too easily. Wow. You mean Shiki never taught them these? Must be fun letting them find out on their own, huh? Eventually they realize the Kamakura buddies are missing. Yeah, strayed too far ahead, huh? So as they wait, suddenly they appear in front them. You see, the slowpokes realize they took the wrong route that had them ride on the opposite side of the river. But luckily for them, there was a ferry to take them across. Now that everyone has reunited, the veterans introduce themselves. You may remember Kano Hibara as she was the co-host of the Night Criterium. That’s why she recognizes them. Rinko Karino and Riri Oshino are her partners and they are professional cyclists for the local radio station. This means they are a business team. Suddenly Hiromi feels all woozy and light-headed. They let her sit down and eat some energy food and fluids. They say it’s because she lost energy after all that cycling. It’s like a car running without fuel. Hiromi gets her strength back once she’s eaten her fill. After that, they part ways as the bicycle club girls resume their journey. But first, let’s go eat something because can’t cycle on an empty stomach. Oh Hiromi, you being a glutton now? They continue the journey, a bit lost here and there but nothing too serious. Serious drama comes when Fuyune experiences a flat tyre. You mean she didn’t bring a spare?! Before they could resort to calling Shiki as backup, luckily Natsumi has a spare. There. The tyre fixing lessons came in handy, right? The rest of the journey continues smoothly with Hiromi being poetic about the wonderfulness of bicycles. Yeah… They finally reach their goal as Shiki is seen waiting for them. I guess she didn’t wait long. Because it’s still bright day time. Damn, I was under the impression this journey was on for a very long time! When they return home via train in the evening, it’s no surprise the tired girls are knocked out.

Episode 12
The girls submit their report on the recent tour. Wow. Looks good. So their club is now official, right? Well… The principal says no. WTF?! WHY?! Because they forgot 1 important thing. Yeah, go figure. Tomoe refers the student handbook and thinks the club needs 5 members. Yeah? There’s 5 of them here. Did they count wrongly? Oh wait. Sandy was just a provisional member who joined during orientation and they didn’t follow up on that. There. How about that? Nope. Still not it. GRRR!!! Back to the thinking board. So now they think it’s the distance or you need to camp with your bicycle? Ridiculous… After Sandy leaves for her own personal matters, the rest convene at Korone’s place to further think about it. That is when Shiki comes rushing to them with an emergency. She overheard Sandy will be returning to America next week because her grandma isn’t feeling well. Oh damn. Hence they decide to make a memorable last ride for her. Sandy is ecstatic when the girls plan to ride up to Mt Fuji. Even Korone closes her shop to play support. So yeah, as expected, a fun and thrilling ride up the roads to Mt Fuji. Uh huh. They ended up racing and Sandy wins! Oh well, everybody had fun, right? Then Hiromi starts to break down. Oh my. Looks like it has begun. The other girls also ask about the fun about riding and yeah, the answer is of course positive. We’ll always love cycling! I’m sure Sandy is confused as they’re talking about meeting again as long as they’re always cycling. Surprisingly the principal is here. She is glad they have remembered the most important thing and that is to enjoy cycling. They were so obsessed in making the club official that they could’ve lost sight about it. Thankfully they didn’t. This trip proves they love cycling a lot so the principal makes it official. Hooray! Now they’re a club! But the girls are now sad that Sandy is leaving. Sandy admits she is going back but only for a week. Grandma? Oh, she just misses her and that’s why she is ‘down’. So she is returning to show her face. Otherwise grandma is healthy as f*ck. Now the girls turn on Shiki. As a Japanese, can she blame her bad English and get away with it?! In the end, the girls continue cycling because yeah, they love it so much.

Episode 13 (OVA)
The bicycle club girls are in Taiwan! Another milestone for the club! The principal suggested they take a trip there since Taiwan has more advanced bicycle system than Japan. Hence the club is sent there to scout its potential. Of course they can treat this as an all-expenses paid vacation but they have to turn in a report. Upon arriving at the airport, they are surprised to see Natsumi dressed differently. Actually, she is their tour guide, Su Jinwan. Holy sh*t! They’re a splitting image of each other! Almost like twins! Su takes them around the place as she also explains how she is fluent not only in Japanese but other languages as it is her dream to travel around the world one day. The girls then see the local bicycle sharing system, YouBike. Su explains how it works and they rent it and tour around the city. Hey, I thought they brought their own bicycles? Oh well, all expenses paid, right? I feel this episode has more great sightseeing than exploring the bicycle system. In fact, that was it! Day one over so the next day when their own bicycles are assembled, Su will take them to ride around Taiwan’s biggest lake. This scares Fuyune at first but don’t worry, despite being labelled as the largest in Taiwan, it is only 39 km long. Phew. During the break, Hiromi notices Natsumi down. Time for some much needed drama. Seems Natsumi envies Su because she is fluent in so many languages and can easily mix with others. You see, it is also Natsumi’s dream to travel around the world but compared to Su, she is nothing. Oh. That. Hiromi’s answer? Force them both to talk to each other! That should do the trick. So the ‘twins’ talk, Su also mentioning she has her anxiety before meeting them but was blown away when she saw how Natsumi looked so much like her. Basically, they should take things slowly and not rush. As Su is saving up and learning what she can, she hopes Natsumi could one day join her in her world tour. So for now let’s do our best. At the end of the trip before the Japanese depart home, they give Su their team jersey as she is considered part of their club as she has cycled with them. Such great honour. All that’s left now is to write the report and Tomoe feels she has the drawn the short end of the stick since the others can’t really help. You’re on your own. Yeah, now I can see why they chose her as the club president. You too ganbatte!

I Want To Ride My Bicycle, I Want To Ride My Bike…
Well, that wasn’t so bad. Another cute girls doing cute things off my checklist. Oh boy. It’s going to be a long way if I’m going to check all those series under that. What the heck am I saying? I’m getting side-tracked here. So anyway, once again yet another feel good series comes to a close. As expected, not much of an ending because how the heck can you actually end this kind of genre? The best is always the characters will continue to do what they always love to do and for these girls here, that will be to keep enjoying their bicycle rides. Enough said. Period.

This means as expected too, I’m going to very much repeat again the same things that I often said in my other blogs for series of this genre. Starting with the plot, there isn’t any real plot whatsoever. You’ve already got all you need to know from the short synopsis of the series itself. That’s it. No real drama whatsoever and even if there was one, it would be quickly solved and fast forgotten as everybody moves on to the next enjoyment. Enough said. Period. Forgive me too if you are going to hear me compare this series a lot with Long Riders since both shows are pretty similar to each other but have their differences too.

If there was one thing I would feel ‘disappointed’ about, it would be that initially I had this impression that the bicycle club will go on to compete in a national event. This is because of the promotional poster in seeing the girls in their full team jersey and seemingly riding in a very competitive and passionate state. So I thought perhaps maybe there would be some sort of bicycle race on a national scale and if not, perhaps a bicycle racing tournament for high schools whereby they compete to head to the Nationals. You know the drill. Typical ingredients for Japanese sports action drama. Unfortunately the only big race that the bicycle club girls ever entered was just the Night Criterium. Seems like a very small time event if you ask me. Because compared to Long Riders, at least they rode a seemingly bigger competition (although this technically isn’t a competition in the strictest definition). So yeah, my bad for actually expecting something big to happen but only to be let-down by my own baseless anticipation. And the other dumb part from me is how I misinterpret the title as some shabu time. WHAT?! Because I read the title as ‘Jiten-shabu’ rather than ‘Jitensha-bu’. Sighs…

However this series takes its time to flesh out the development of the bicycle club and it seemingly interacts with more outsiders compared to Long Riders. In Long Riders, we see the main character who is a noob in the cycling, jumping in right away to ride and there are a few time skips in between. Everything was mostly just showcasing about the cycling and the ride. Whereas for this series, the concept of establishing a proper bicycle club didn’t actually occur until only the third episode. And the whole club seemingly come together only in the next. But not really. Because we were left hanging about the status of the club for the rest of the entire season since of that stupid regulation they need to achieve some results in order to be recognized as a real club. And I thought passion and love for it was enough to make it official. Yeah, the principal should’ve felt it in their fervour. Was she doubting them when she said it all behind that sweet smile?

Both series have their silly moments that don’t make sense as well as their ups and downs. For instance, the silliest moment that I ever find here is the fact how Sandy FKA Kuma was in the lead (a considerable stretch) for most of the Night Criterium. I don’t know if American power powered her to ride much faster than the rest because I gotta be fair that the rest of the other clubs don’t really have much cycling experience. But to be in the lead in that clumsy getup compared to our real bicycle club girls who are dressed and equipped better? This really feels like nonsense only to ramp up some racing drama. Sure, they had a bad start. But all that slip stream and whatever tactics only managed to make them catch up on the penultimate lap? Damn, if this race was 1 lap shorter, I bet Kuma girl would’ve won.

Character wise, they’re pretty okay but nothing much if you ask me. However they have a lot more character interactions with people outside the cycling circle compared to Long Riders that feels no other characters are in focus except for those within their group. I suppose when you are in college or university, things are much different than when you are in high school. It’s a different set of interaction with society. I mean, Long Riders don’t even have a club advisor or characters from other clubs compared to this one and that they’re mostly on the road. Yeah, when you’re in higher education institutions, you have more freedom to do whatever and go wherever you want. High school girls still need to play their roles as high school girls, I guess.

The good thing about the dense and noob Hiromi is that compared to Long Riders’ Ami, she doesn’t complain and whine so much! Even if she has her own insecurities, she is at least bearable. Too bad, can’t say the same of her naivety. I mean, Hiromi really thought bicycles never existed before her birth?! WTF… Unfortunately I feel that despite over a dozen episodes, the rest of the other characters aren’t really fleshed out that well because I don’t really feel the bond between them. Sure, they love the cycling thingy but there’s all there is to it. I mean, I can’t even find the words to describe the good girl Tomoe is. So she’s the club’s president. Has a sister who designed their team jersey. That’s it. Natsumi looked like she is athletic but at most times she doesn’t seem to live up to it. What’s that about her dreams to travel the world again? Forgettable. Fuyune has the weakest constitution and it feels like they want to play her cramps as a running joke. I don’t know, if you ask me, cramps are very painful. I got them before. So seeing her having one but not writing in pain, I wonder if she’s that strong and I’m the wuss or they’re just downplaying this cramps thingy.

Last but not least, Sandy. We need a cliché foreigner girl to tell us why she loves Japanese culture so much. Sandy is this series’ answer. Ironically, although hailing from America, her English accent sounds so fake and Engrish that even Su’s English accent sounds way better and more believable than her! I KNOW, RIGHT?! On a trivial note, notice how the Japanese’s quartet’s names have seasons in it? So does it mean that cycling is all year long? Throughout all season? Perhaps. So how does Sandy fit into this season thingy? Uhm… Erm… Sandy… The sand… Aha! The beach! Sandy beach! Haha!

The girls being cycling amateurs they are, I guess that is why they need a few adults who are knowledgeable and an expertise in the area to help them out and to guide them whenever they are stuck. Hence Shiki sensei as the obligatory advisor for the club because otherwise there won’t be a club at all. She’s very minimal in their participation and lets the girls do what they can. Freedom. Got to let the girls decide and grow on their own. And of course Korone who is the team’s mechanic because we need someone to take care of their bicycles and recommend the best accessories for our girls. Hey, if you’re going to enjoy the ride, might as well have all the best equipment that you can. Of course, don’t forget about the price! Keep within your budget. Cycling is such an expensive hobby the more you delve into it. Kaching!

As for many of the other characters, they aren’t really memorable and sometimes it feels just for some mini plot convenience. Like Yuika. Too bad none of the girls in the bicycle club are good designers so that’s where this loli comes in. After that, she’s just forgettable. Why does Tsuru even exist? Isn’t Korone all sufficient by herself? Apparently a kid still needs an adult’s help. Whoops! I’m sorry, you’re not a kid, Korone. I repeat, you’re not a kid! Don’t kill me! Hiroko. Competition lover. Somebody needs to give the bicycle club a run for their money. It would be an insult if a non-bicycle club individual actually beat a bicycle club member at their own game! Then we’ll be talking about conspiracy theories that passion isn’t enough… Kano? Feels like if there is ever a need for a bigger future event, you bet they might need her team to pull some strings. Too bad not just for this season. Rei? Even if Fuyune didn’t have a sister, the story would still go on fine. I guess they just need to play up some friendship drama because there needs to be one between Natsumi and Fuyune. So if you don’t feel the Hiromi-Tomoe bond, maybe you could for Natsumi-Fuyune. Maybe.

This series feels a bit better in terms of dispensing cycling related info and know-hows compared to Long Riders in the sense that at the end of every episode, we have a special segment known as AOP: The First Cycling Club. Hosted by cutie pies, Yui Fukuo and Yuuki Hirose, they present to us on some of the very basic information needed for newbies who are interested in taking up cycling as a hobby. From choosing the bicycle frame, size, items as well as what to do to fix accidents of the chain and flat tyre, to its maintenance as well as correct cycling posture. Don’t worry, these cuties are also as lost as you noobs so they’ve got a pro cyclist who also runs his own bicycle shop to demonstrate and teach us all that we need. So get your pen and paper ready to take down those notes! After 2/3 of the series, once you’ve got all that info needed, the segment then shifts to their mini cycling tour around Kamakura. Yeah, it’s like promoting some of its famous sightseeing spots.

Art and animation feel pretty decent. Compared to Long Riders, they look less cartoony and more towards the bishoujo type. After all, remember this is cute girls doing cute things version. Yeah, sometimes I feel the adult characters are looking a bit younger for their age. Like Shiki. Dress her up in high school uniform and I bet you can’t tell she’s a teacher. Even the principal looks a bit young for an old woman. And of course Korone… Whoops! Of course it goes without saying that the bicycles are the main stars of the series so you bet that they are beautifully drawn and animated. Also, somewhat nice to look at are the backgrounds and sceneries since Kamakura is a seaside town located to the south of Tokyo so you bet there are going to be lots of scenic views and nice animations about it. Though, that trip to Taiwan I thought they somewhat ‘cheated’ because many of the sceneries and sightseeing spots looked like still pictures but blurred out to make it less obvious. At the end of each episode, an illustration of the characters of the series. Is it me or do they look sexier in this sketch style? This anime is jointly done by J.C. Staff (One Punch Man, DanMachi, KonoSuba, Shokugeki No Souma, the To Aru series) and A.C.G.T. (Freezing, Dies Iraes). This won’t be their only joint stint ever as they did Fuun Ishin Dai Shogun previously and then went on to do To Aru Kagaku No Accelerator.

Voice acting is also decent and I didn’t really recognize anyone. The casts are Reina Ueda as Hiromi (Shiori in Sakura Quest), Yuuki Hirose as Tomoe (Hidaka in High Score Girl), Natsumi Fujiwara as Natsumi and Su (Dimaria in Fairy Tail), Natsumi Takmori as Fuyune (Raiha in Go-toubun No Hanayome) (is it me or is this the reason why the characters are supposed to be close to each other because both are named Natsumis?), Emiko Takeuchi as Sandy (Youko in Two Car), Sayumi Watabe as Shiki (Tachibana in Koi Wa Ameagari No You Ni), Yurika Kubo as Korone (Loki in DamMachi), Ikumi Hayama as Hiroko (Sayaka in Strike The Blood), Akari Kitou as Nagisa (Kaho in Blend S), Ai Kakuma as Tsuru (Itsuyo in Val x Love), Yui Fukuo as Yuika (Linze in Isekai Wa Smartphone To Tomo Ni) and Miyuki Ichijou as the principal (Elizabeth in Mars Daybreak).

The opening theme is Jitensha Ni Hana Wa Mau by AOP. If it sounds like a typical idol pop song, that’s because AOP is one of those typical Japanese idols with their colour coded members. You might have already guessed that a couple of their members make their voice acting roles here. Coincidentally on a sad note, the band itself recently disbanded back in March 2021 after almost a decade of their formation. The ending theme is Nijiyume Road by Ikasan. It is a rock outfit and it sounds a bit unusual. If this series was shonen competition style, it would’ve fit the series like a glove. But since it is cute girls doing cute things, it just feels kinda odd. Even odder, while the male voice is the lead singer, during some parts of the song have this female accompaniment background vocals. To me, it sounds somewhat out of tune because she’s a bit high pitched.

Overall, if you love cute girls and you love cycling, this show would be a double treat for you. Otherwise, this series is just plain average in the broadest sense. Average characters, no exciting plot (but of course) and the only race this series had was very dramatized in an otherwise a boring race. I don’t think you’d watch this show for the visuals it’s better for you to visit Kamakura in person if that’s the case. Since the anime didn’t get a sequel (so far), I guess there must be a lot of other cute girls doing cute things out there that must have surpassed this and hence this series flew under the radar ever since. Sadly, the manga ended back in 2018, just after a year this anime aired. So I guess cycling is better to be done rather than to be watched. Which is also very much true. But you can do both and still win. How? Watch this series while cycling on your stationary indoor fitness exercising bike!