First Impressions / Snapshots

「おのぼりん」 (Onoborin)
“Climbing Up”

Now that we’ve reached the point in Kandagawa Jet Girls when Rin has her academy’s Jet Racing Club assembled, it gives the anime carte blanche to have fun with the rest of the girls that appear as their rivals. While the plot aims to place them in the right position to challenge Kaguya once again, they must first go up against two foreign otaku, Jennifer Peach and Emily Orange, when Misa decides to compete against them for her preferred souvenir-of-choice.

The formation of the Jet Racing Club helps to set a comprehensive goal for Rin and Misa to meet since it sets the tone for them to begin training and competing with rival jet racers until they are eventually comfortable with facing off in an official tournament against Kaguya. The other girls that make up their club are in it more for their own interests such as Ruca joining to give her the freedom to work on the nuts & bolts of a jet racing vehicle without having to hide her self-expression and hobby.

The last girl to join is the most interesting member with Student Council President Fumika joining the Jet Racing Club because she wants to settle a personal score with Kaguya. It presents the hierarchy of branch families where Fumika holds a grudge against Kaguya for being above her family in this tiering system and helps to elaborate on some of the other hierarchies that appear in this anime’s universe such as the rankings of different academies and family lines.

As far as the girls’ personal development, Rin and Misa had great moments within Episode 03 to flesh out their bonds with one another. Misa especially finds herself gravitating closer to Rin as she had finally found a friend who she can grow attached to when her classmates’ half-hearted approach to jet-racing left her feeling animosity towards her peers.

While the plot is legitimized by presenting Rin’s Jet Racing Club with the goal of being recognized as Tokyo’s highest echelon of racers, there are still moments of levity when we’re given more time with the foreign jet-racing duo of Jennifer and Emily. These two carry the distinction of fully embracing the stereotype of the goofy otaku who come to Tokyo expecting to bring their obsession with anime and Japanese nerd culture along for the ride. Jennifer and Emily’s hardcore otakudom is made charming by having them remain immersed in their experiences of Tokyo, whether it be through trying out the local cuisine or stopping by attractions such as the bathhouse that they visit so that we can fill our quota of uncensored chests in this episode.

We hear plenty of humorous utterances of English phrases, but I found the outdated Japanese dialect that Emily spoke to be the funniest gag attached to these characters. Shamefully, I also laughed when the tension in Misa and Jennifer’s tug-of-war for the yellow dolphin was cut by a nearby train that caused each of the girls’ breasts to violently and unnaturally shake around as if they were slapping gravity in the face. The end of the episode may have been punctuated by Rin’s reluctant participation in a race against her two new friends, but it is nice to know we’ll be spending more time with Jennifer and Emily in the next episode.

19 Comments

  1. I think I’d need to be paid a lot of money to write a full review for this! It’s just a fanservice vehicle with a cast of tropey big-breasted girls and a plot so full of holes it’s a wonder their boats don’t sink at the start line. And seriously, “Japanimation”? Does anyone still call it that these days? Although I have to admit that hearing what sounded to me like Japanese seiyuu taking the piss out of Western VAs was amusing.

    I guess I’ll stick with it, but strictly for the fanservice.

    Angelus
    Reply

    1. Many of my choices this season were a bust, so I figured I’d take the L and bide my time until Winter 2020. The one show I really wanted to work was Mugen no Juunin, but it’s looking like a series I’d rather read than watch in its current form. Jet Girls and Kemono Michi aren’t going on any End-of-Year Top 5 lists for me, but having fluffier, shorter anime gives me some time to recharge my batteries so I’m not grasping for straws to find the perks in more than two ok/mediocre shows. It also gives me some legroom to cover shows that pique my interest more in the next season.

      If there is something good about Jet Girls, it’s that it’s got reasonable fanservice and is inoffensive, plot-wise. For a series introducing a new game, it’s already exceeding expectations by not being an unsalvageable disaster that craps the bed by Episode 1. That doesn’t say much, but it’s coherent and competent enough at the moment for me to not have to spend an unearthly amount of time writing or ranting about its themes or flaws.

      Choya
      Reply

      1. Yeah, my initial hopes for this season kinda faded a little, too.

        Honzuki no Gekokujou is a surprise as it has more depth than
        I thought it would — a pleasure to watch.

        Watashi, Nouryoku wa Heikinchi de tte Itta yo ne! first two
        episodes were good and suddenly my isekai turned into a magical
        girl series! Hopefully, #4 will prove me wrong…

        Shinchou Yuusha: Kono Yuusha ga Ore Tueee Kuse ni Shinchou Sugiru
        kinda got old real fast unless he stops going overboard… Sceech!

        Hataage! Kemono Michi has kinda entered “stupid” territory, dunno
        if I can stand it…

        Still a good season, just a few hiccups in my expectations.

        mac65
        Reply

      1. Cygames do better anime adaptations for games they’re pushing. I can’t imagine anyone here would disagree when I say Uma Musume Pretty Derby is a much better series than Kandagawa Jet Girls.

        Lyfe
        Reply

  2. These boobies jinggel while under the Train Bridge was totally fanservice. That prove the lack of Story, they just need an excuse to show them always on the water doing their race…

    Do they forget the tight schleude they have of sharing the river? of course these group they are racing now would had been their time slot…

    worldwidedepp
    Reply

    1. You can tell it’s a video game adaptation when the segues from school life scenes to the race track feel unnaturally contrived. So far, they’ve triggered races by accidentally sitting too close a reserved race track and fighting over a souvenir.

      It’s fun to watch if you tune out and enjoy the goofy fanservice and bubbly atmosphere, but looking at it from a more critical angle, it does feel like it’s trying its hardest to present its material in a way that replicates in-game experiences without doing much to push the envelope.

      Choya
      Reply

    2. I think these Two should show Gaijin Girls, but their Japanese/Nippon is way better then their English so.. well it’s English “gaijin” sexy Girl fanservice.. I bet German “sex Bomb” Girls are not far away

      worldwidedepp
      Reply

  7. Ep 04:

    – If you looking for Ecchi and Spice looking Girls, then you found them
    – if you looking for Plot? Well, beside the Ecchi, the Plot had here little sparkle of fire but the Ecchiness quickly put them out

    Well, if you still happy with it, then enjoy

    worldwidedepp
    Reply

    1. giving a Race only Game a Story, Background and emotions, without bending or destroy the source… Kanadagawa Jet Girls.. this is nearly impossible here and i do not thing it will change

      worldwidedepp
      Reply

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