Then there's the story. It's so illogical I don't even have time to hate it--- I'm just baffled at why the author is trying to put a square peg in what's clearly a round hole. As everyone else says, the first episode is great and leads you to think this is going to be a hidden gem. The problem is that it sets up the story like it was going to be a sports anime about a dancer getting a second chance. Instead, it tries to force in a badly written terrorism/oppressive government plot that has nothing new to say and clashes with Rin's personal story.
First of all, the rebellion plot is as simple as, we need to stop this brutal dictatorship, but with Ridebacks. Like, why??? You're not saying anything new, you're not exploring any political/social ideas, and your antagonists have about as much nuance as the evil empires from a young adult novel. I guess the author really wanted to tell a government rebellion story.
Secondly, the show has to go through all types of mental gymnastics to try to make the rebellion stuff jive with Rin's story. It tries to tie Rin's desire for the adrenaline rush of riding Fuego with her accidental involvement in the terrorist activities, but in order to do that it has to devise all sorts of contrivances and irrational character decisions. Furthermore, it's clear that Rin's arc could've been told entirely separate from the rebellion stuff using plain racing. Speed Racer did it fantastically, using a little racing corruption to amp up the action and stakes, and Rideback could've done the same thing. You don't need a full fledged terrorist war to have action sequences. Hell, The Fast and the Furious did it better. Yeah, it later ends up much more ridiculous than Rideback, with characters redircting submarine missiles with their hands while riding in a car on ice in order to save the world from Charlize Theron, but remember that the first movie started with an undercover cop investigating illegal street racing. Perhaps Rideback could have done the rebellion stuff, but only after a tournament arc followed by a racing gang war arc, something along the lines of Tokyo Drift. If you want to take it from the dancer's stage to the world stage, fine, but you have to escalate it gradually.
The mental gymnastics also mean that Rin's personal struggles are irrational. Her point A and point B are fine- with point B being her realization of what ridebacking means to her just like Speed's spectacular arc completion, but the obstacles to that realization feel extremely contrived. Like, if you wanted the adrenaline rush, why would you risk your life to do it instead of just participating in a race? Why do you feel so bad about wanting that adrenaline rush? That's a perfectly normal reason to do a sport.
Basically, if you took out the rebellion stuff and added Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift and Speed Racer, you'd have a masterpiece. I'm extremely disappointed in this show because I still love the art and concept and can't stop thinking about what could've been. Hell, I might put the show in my favorites just so I can look at its gorgeous cover. I still recommend you watch the show, though. Watch the first episode, then only watch the action sequences, which alone make the show worth it (along with its cool aesthetic). Other than that, you're not missing out on much.If you want action AND a story, just go watch Speed Racer. It's great.
