“Take it easy and enjoy a relaxing teatime” may not sound like an epic boast or diss, but Teshima is going to make sure it is at the Inter-high qualifiers!
But first, Sohoku needs to choose who they’re sending to the qualifiers and, hopefully, Inter-high. With a spot open for member #6, will it be the remaining second-year Sugimoto, or will Sohoku gain more miracle rookies — who may even steal a spot from one of the starters?
The Hakone farewell race arc that started in the last volume finished quickly here in Yowamushi Pedal volume 16, and the manga concentrates on Sohoku after that. With the team being crowned national champions, the club gains a bunch of new members. One of them is Sadatoki, Sugimoto’s giant of a brother. There’s also the confident Kaburagi and the serious Danchiku, who make a bet with Teshima: if they take the top two spots in the annual first-year welcome race, they get to be on the team at Inter-high.
Over half of this volume is dedicated to establishing the new team, which the chapter titles colloquially call “Neo-Sohoku”. There’s one spot up for grabs, and if Kaburagi/Danchiku win, someone out of the current lineup is going to be kicked off. Passive Onoda, of course, immediately assumes it will be him, but there would be little chance of that. New club members — heck, even new students not in the club! — know of his victory. (And if they don’t, the big banner hanging at school certainly helps get his name out.)
But this year’s race has an oddity: second-year Sugimoto asks for a chance to prove himself by joining the race. If he wins, he wants to be #6. So it’s a showdown between him and these two freshmen for the honor of wearing a tag number.
It’s a sweat-filled competition that comes down to the wire, but Neo-Sohoku shows up for their six-man debut at Inter-high qualifiers. I can’t talk too much about it or it will ruin the thrill of the first-year race. While most of Yowamushi Pedal‘s races involve jumping between a bunch of members, here, the smaller number of competitors allows more time to experience the race alongside the two main stars of this arc, Sugimoto and Kaburagi. Plus, even better, the race doesn’t involve named muscles, music, or any other of the racers’ odd special abilities. It’s just hard work, talent, and the usual shounen power of friendship stuff.
The latter plays a part in the qualifiers too. Most of the team already have strong bonds with each other, but not everyone on the team is an Inter-high veteran. And the qualifiers is quick to deal out a lesson: bad luck can strike anywhere, and you need support to overcome it!
Surprisingly, the qualifiers won’t drag on until volume 17, so fans can get two complete races in one volume. Can’t say that in this series too often!
The lettering, which I have been complaining about recently, is significantly better. There were only a few one instances of the text sneaking outside the bubbles.
Instead, I’ll leave off this review with a different negative: butt and leg shots from someone who looks like an Attack on Titan reject. Most of you can probably guess whom I’m talking about. Yes, they technically have a purpose, but eh, I don’t think we needed close-ups. Although maybe the author is trying to reach a new type of audience considering the last line is, “I always wash before riding you.” Maybe a new fan-favorite BL pairing is about to be born? Who knows! But I do know Yowamushi Pedal could use more volumes like this!