I think the white rhino has a lot to do with the coming arc, but if only this mean cow would not get in the way… 

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Sawa’s turn to greet a challenge in her young life makes her uncharacteristically somber. More so than Konatsu and Wakana, Sawa faces obstacles that are more than having passion for things she enjoys doing, like horse riding and archery. Even as she realizes this, she opts to challenge societal rules and push to be a female jockey. Clearly, this means that she would have to meet weight limitations, which leads to her excessive dieting, lack of energy and potentially life threatening injuries. That closing scene of episode seven has many shades of Christopher Reeve — an awful feeling as I cringed the moment she slipped. 

But then she escapes with minor injuries that only sideline her from a single tournament. Sawa’s lucky to be alive but her dreams remained questionable, crushed even. On the practical side, it’s discouraging to hear that one has to give up hopes and dreams, no matter how real the circumstances are. This is strictly between being a parent and a child, and I personally don’t think it’s about being naive — that is, until Sawa’s dad start sending people to hell. It’s really about perspective and it’s something Sawa’s probably relearning as a victim of life’s challenges and deficits. Taking a step back isn’t necessarily quitting when it’s applied as a life lesson. It’s when we have a hard time connecting motives to expectations to pragmatism that we tend to feel lost and down, and Sawa is no exception to this spiral. By the end of it all, however, she regains that bounce in her step and the energy to seek a better tomorrow. It all sounds corny but this is about growing up — there’s no magically awesome script unique to every one of us.

On the other hand, Wakana continues to be a stronghold once music reentered her life again. She’s alike a whole new person. She and Sawa basically flip-flopped and it was almost strange seeing this development in episode seven, but became much more fluid and admirable when the message in episode eight established that as people, we need one another for support. 

The same applies to Konatsu’s humorous but passionate support for her dear friend and the guys’ two cents that keep the group dynamic strong. I am guessing that Taichi is basically done for the series but Wien still holds a good deal of an enigma. I am glad to see that Wien is freakin’ rich and that his love for heroes has a deeper meaning than for hobbies’ sake. I’m waiting on this arc, should it ever arise in the final third of the series.

Of course, the last jog should deal with that ever impressive white rhino that’s been flogging Wien’s culturally challenged mind (yes, it is an emergency) and more warm and fuzzy songs should excite. I don’t anticipate the final episodes to be all cheerful but one more major obstacle should be enough to cover all of the main characters. I do like how everyone is still involved so that nobody is really left out. Yes, Taichi just got one episode but based on his importance factor, that is all he ever needed. I mean, if I wanted to see a racket sport be a focus, I’d rather turn to Prince of Tennis. No offense to badminton, but it’s not so fun watching a match for more than twenty seconds. (It is fun watching Taichi practice by swatting flies though.) 

I like the end to Sawa’s story but would like to see any further conclusion in regards to her future. I am hoping it will be touched upon by the series’ end. 

GO Rating: 3.5/5