Bakuon!!
First, there were bicycles. Then, those bicycles became competitive bikes. Competitive bikes soon turned into some mutated racing monster. Eventually, one realised that the monster was merely human. Now, how about an actual monster for a change? Okay, it isn't that monstrous but its sole presence might just overwhelm the average person. I was initially surprised by the open reception of such in a high school. What am I talking about? Motorbikes! A motorbike club! An all-girls high school! Girls on motorbikes! This is Bakuon!!! Pardon the extra exclamation marks, as the title itself bears two.
Frankly, I can't help but feel increasingly intrigued by the treatment of motorbikes in a high school setting, which is usually the last place to ever allow the presence of noisy, intimidating, risky, heavy monsters to grace its compounds. Bakuon!! definitely doesn't shy away from showing off its prowess. I'm not familiar with motorbikes and neither am I considering a license now or in future. I just like the idea of a motorbike, the possible thrills that come with it and the true stretch of such. The excitement of occasionally watching motorcyclists whizz past the busy traffic will always be there.
Let's meet the girls of Bakuon!!, and their awesome motorbikes. Gracing a Honda CB400SF is high school freshman Sakura Hane. Hane originally rode a bicycle to school, and would pretend that it was a motorbike by mimicking the sounds and such. After witnessing a fellow student whizzing past effortlessly on a motorbike, Hane became intrigued by the idea of possibly riding one herself. She eventually signed up for riding lessons, and with the encouragement and support of her family and friends, got her license to ride.
Next is Suzunoki Rin, who is also a freshman and Hane's classmate. Rin got her license just before Hane, and is pretty well-versed in motorbikes though her knowledge narrows down quickly to her obsession with Suzuki. Her motorbike, a Suzuki GSX400S Katana, was a present from her father. Rin is friendly towards Hane and extremely supportive of the latter's decision to ride a motorbike. She has this little silly song that she made up for her Katana. No prizes for guessing the lyrics though.
Full of character and easily a favourite character (pardon the pun) of mine is Amano Onsa. Onsa is Hane and Rin's fellow classmate. She also happens to be the one who Hane saw whizzing past on their first day of school. Onsa rides a Yamaha Serow 225W. She is easily the most enthusiastic and knowledgable of the lot, coming from a family that runs a motorbike shop. I like Onsa's hair and the big ribbon that goes around her head. That is actually a scarf, isn't it? She is the first character to appear in the anime.
Minowa Hijiri is the youngest among the girls and can't sit for a licence until she turns 16 in December. Hijiri is the daughter of the CEO of Minowa Group, and had once commuted to middle school by helicopter. She has a desire to rebel, though that usually fails quite miserably due to her upbringing. One of her attempts is to ride a motorbike, but because she is still not qualified to ride one, her butler rides a Ducati 750SS Imola Replica with her as a passenger in the sidecar. Hijiri is in a different class from the others, but becomes acquainted with them through the motorbike club.
Kawasaki Raimu is the mysterious figure of the series. Nothing much is known about Raimu, except for her Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R. She doesn't utter a single word throughout, and only communicates with pen and paper. Her face remains hidden behind her helmet, and it is a wonder how she doesn't suffocate or something when 'interacting' with the rest of the girls. Nonetheless, a little more is gradually revealed about Raimu over time.
Bakuon!! has quickly become a must-see on my invisible list. I don't pretend to understand motorbikes and such, and I probably never will understand much. But I still appreciate the refreshingly high entertainment value of the series. I mean, one doesn't have to be a motorbike enthusiast or a motorcyclist to enjoy this anime. I'm so looking forward to the next offering!
Eccentrically Yours.
Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪
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