RideBack | Anime Review | Pinnedupink.com

RideBack

The 2000 to 2010 titles might as well be considered quite old at this point, but this doesn't mean they are deficient in any way. The past decade and the one before it boasted some pretty impressive anime in multitudes of genres, pleasing all types of anime fans. Most of them outdid themselves within that decade itself. The Action, Drama, and Mecha genres were big hits, with no small number of titles underneath them.

RideBack (Ride Back) is a twelve-episode TV anime series that started airing on January 12 and concluded on March 30th as a Winter 2009 anime. It was produced by Geneon Universal Entertainment, licensed by Funimation, and brought to life by Studio Madhouse.

The central staff under this series are Takahashi Atsushi (Director, Episode Director and Storyboard), Sueda Yoshifumi (Episode Director), Nakajima Toshihiko (Sound Director), and Katou Michiya (Episode Director, Storyboard and Director of Photography).

The main genres featured in RideBack are Action, Drama, Mecha, School, and Sci-Fi. It is rated PG-13 for teenage audiences or older. The anime is based on the source Manga of the same title, which spanned 10 Volumes from the 25th of April 2003 until the 25th of October 2008. It featured the genres of Action, Mecha, Sci-Fi, and Seinen, by author and artist Kasahara Tetsuroh, serialized in Ikki.

The story is set in the year 2020, a future in which a massive organization named the GGP has seized control of the whole world. During this time, anti-government student movements have begun raging wildly again. Protagonist Rin Ogata is a young girl who is an up-and-coming ballet dancer. But fate was not so kind to her, as she suffers a severe injury while dancing and decides to quit the field.

Years later, while leading a very ordinary life in her college time, she comes across a peculiar club building. Here she finds herself utterly intrigued by a mysterious transforming motorcycle-like vehicle, termed a "Rideback.” The Rideback is essentially a two-wheeled robot modeled after a human being. Here on out, Rin begins to ride on the "Tetsuma," bringing along with it a drastic change to their world's destiny. In this process, she soon discovers that her unique ballet skills, which involve balance and finesse, make her a true-born natural on a Rideback. At the same time, those very skills also entangle her in serious trouble with the government.

RideBack portrays the tale of Rin, a ballet prodigy who was forced to give up her passion due to an injury. In this alternative future, a world government in the form of the GGP has risen against the threat of the terrorist group BMA. These two plotlines seem so far from each other, with no relation at all, but they are interwoven in a way no one would expect. How they merge is one aspect that makes RideBack such a great show, even back in 2009.

The story can be a hit or miss depending on the viewer, as it mixes many factors. Rin tends to speak her thoughts aloud when by herself or regardless of any hearers, and this part is more enjoyable than it sounds. All the while, the GGP, and the BMA are engaged in a continuous game of cat and mouse. The story only gets going once the two plotlines merge, and this is executed brilliantly.

The sudden climax in the final episode is quite displeasing, though. There is also a constant disregard for physics in the action scenes of RideBack, which can also be off-putting. But overall, the story has an excellent sense of sentimentalism, which is neither overbearing nor underwhelming.

The characters of RideBack had only twelve episodes to develop, and the series did a good job providing them with enough development for the viewers to be able to relate. Rin's wishes and motivations and the desires and motivations of the MBA are clearly portrayed, and viewers can easily empathize with them.

Unfortunately, most of the support characters come across as lacking, being one-dimensional for the most part and only existing to create plot devices. These characters couldn’t hope to get fully fleshed out in the show’s short run, being just there.

The Art and Animation of RideBack are truly eye-catching. The Animation and CG are nothing short of amazing, being high quality as well. This factor is consistent, too, as the RideBacks showcase extremely fluid animation and modeling, so much so that it almost looks real.

The character designs and movements are also done well, making the series a great watch, especially in HD. The studio deserves full credit for creating such a great living, breathing, fictional version of Tokyo set in an alternate future of 2020.

The Sounds and Music of RideBack are also excellent. The Composers went all out, mixing the musical genres of Techno, Classical and fast-paced Action beats throughout the series. The music complemented the themes of the series and the scenes incredibly well, be it the action sequences or the Rin solo scenes.

The Opening theme is "Ride Back" by MELL, which boasts some nice lyrics and complements the show well. The ending theme is "Kioku" by Younha feat. GOKU, which is a slow ballad, which complements the solemn side of the series well. The voice acting in this series is also top-notch, especially with regards to Rin.

Rideback has some fantastic animation, and most viewers venture into it not knowing what to expect. But at the end of the series, viewers can look back and realize it has some political intrigue, great action, intense ballet, and even some romance. On the surface, the series is all animation but has less overall quality.

But this anime has some intense symbolism, executed with style, and it does a great job enhancing this symbolism with various story backdrops. This series is highly recommended to Action and Mecha fans while also being a great coming-of-age story. Rideback deserves a chance, no matter how you look at it, and it's more likely that you walk away entertained.