I really, really loved this show. When I first found out about it, I was a bit confused because: Bikes? Why?
But then I fell in love with every single character in the series and it was one hell of a ride.
The story is simple and easy to follow. Looking at the story dryly, it may seem a bit boring, but it really isn't. It's the characters and their amazing development that make this series awesome.
This cast is hugely diverse in looks and personality. You've got chubby characters, extremely thin characters, muscly characters, tall characters, short characters, characters with birthmarks, and each character's face looks different and unique. Oh, I just love this cast! Their diversity makes them seem so real and loveable, not to mention they all have their strengths and weaknesses, each and every character's backstory being touched on, making you love these characters more. Each character had something they were carrying, some initiative to win and fight and carry on. These characters had their own demons to fight, a character with PTSD that overcame his stress, characters that suffered loss (races, and family) and characters that had to gain confidence along the way, like our protagonist, the first year Onoda.
Onoda started off the show with no friends and planned to just simply have an anime club and make friends there. With his unplanned decision to join the bike racing club and in which he finds his love and passion for bikes. There are parts in this series that will warm your heart and make you tear up a little, and parts that will make you mad and keep you at the edge of your seats. It made you want to get up and cheer on for these characters like you were watching a real live race. At points, you will think you know who will win, and then there are points where your mind changes and this is an even bigger reason why this show will keep you at the edge of your chairs in suspense!
The animation and sound were both very good, I enjoyed the openings especially. I definitely did not focus on those factors much while watching the show, but Ii did enjoy the animation and how bright and colorful everything was.
Overall, I highly recommend this anime for those who want a story of friendship, hardship, challenge, and most importantly bikes. I was most definitely not expecting such a heartwarming and passionate story like this to be about bikes, but it was and I wouldn't have it any other way. This series was great, and for more be sure to read the manga!
