#lesbian golf anime

[electriccelery93]

Aoi: we're sisters

Eve: HAHAHA WHAT? NO. IMPOSSIBLE. WE'RE TOO GAY.

[historyhermann]

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story Season 2 Spoiler-Filled Review [Part 1]

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story is an original (wild) golf anime directed by Takayuki Inagaki, with Yōsuke Kuroda as the series writer. The series is produced by Bandai Namco Pictures, a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Filmworks. The first cour/season of Birdie Wing aired from April to June 2022, and the second season/cour aired from April 2023 to June 2023.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the thirty-eighth article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on July 2, 2023.

The first season of this off-the-wall anime centered on Eve (voiced by Kito Akari), a spunky teenage girl from the slums of Nafrece who illegally golfs for money, and a rich Japanese girl named Aoi Amawashi (voiced by Asami Seto), who matches her determination and skill. That season showed that this anime is more than a sports story, which are common these days, with wild underground golf games against organized crime bosses obsessed with solving issues through golf.

Diversity is central to Birdie Wing. Heavy issues like undocumented immigration, corrupt urban renewal, political corruption, and racial injustice are brought to the forefront. Unsurprisingly, yuri subtext is abound in this anime, primarily between Eve and Aoi, especially during their golf games against one another, or together.

The second season picks up where the first one left off, with magical girl-esque golf drives by Eve and Aoi, and continued ridiculousness. This series is more mature than many Western animations. It is even more intense and relatable than the previous season, with Eve remaining at a prestigious Japanese golf academy in the first part of the season. It does this while flaunting rules of the sports genre, mixed with well-placed comedic moments.

Surely, there are terrible women in Birdie Wing, but others are more relatable. In many ways, this series makes the elitist sport of golf interesting to watch. The series goes above and beyond other sports anime focused on girls. The plot and characters remain compelling. The talented crew and cast allow the series to excel. This season went a different direction than I had anticipated in my season one review: that Aoi would lose her privileges, that Eve would become a subservient golf supersoldier doing the bidding of the golf-obsessed Mafia, and that Eve would remain in Japan.

In fact, Aoi never lost her life of privilege while Eve did not remain in Japan. It is heavily implied that she has romantic feelings toward Aoi and vice versa. The first few episodes of the second season show Aoi making mistakes. But Eve did not kiss her since promised to only do so if Aoi did well. On the other hand, Eve's repressed memories began to come back when she did one of her golf power moves, revealing her true identity.

Unlike season one of Birdie Wing, the physical toll of playing golf, at this intense level, is a major theme. At the beginning of the season, Aoi gets a headache and her playing suffers, with Eve filling in for her. Aoi collapses because of the stress she is under. Predictably, Eve declares she will "kill" her opponents in golf. Otherwise, there is a connection between the condition of Aoi's father, and her condition, with the latter a result of overwork.

I liked how the series seemed to imply that Eve and Aoi were half-sisters, then demolished this idea with an absurdly complex web of relationships between the show's characters. It turns out that Leo Millafoden (voiced by Shūichi Ikeda) taught Eve golf at request of Eve's real father, Kazuhika Hodoka (voiced by Kousuke Toriumi). The latter was in a relationship with Eleanor Burton (voiced by Yuko Minaguchi). He later married Aoi's mother, Seira Amawashi (voiced by Yūko Kaida), after she was pregnant with a baby from another man: Reiya Amuro (voiced by Tōru Furuya). Reiya later became a coach of the golf academy which Aoi and Eve attended.

In an intriguing twist, it is revealed that Eve doesn't remember her past because of amnesia. A cruise liner crashed, killing her mother and father, and countless others. When she woke up from the accident, she didn't remember anything, not even her name. So, there wasn't any human experimentation, as I had thought before. Instead, she grew up in the slums. Klein Clare (voiced by Sayaka Kinoshita), Lily Lipman (voiced by Akira Sekine), and others in Nafrece take her in and raise her.

The arc in the first few episodes of Birdie Wing's season 2, with Aoi and Eve playing together, ends abruptly. Seira incorrectly believes that Eve is "bad news". She plans to expel Eve from the country, in an effort to "protect" Aoi, in a decision based on faulty information "proving" Eve is tied to the Mafia. The "deportation" of Eve, as some fans termed it online, results. She is pressured to quit school, kidnapped, and brought to an airport, then told to leave Japan "or else".

The definition of deportation in U.S. law is simple. It refers to the removal of a foreigner from a country. In legal terms, such foreigners have a presence which is "deemed inconsistent with the public welfare and without any punishment...imposed or contemplated". In contrast, expulsion is removal of a person or people, by a governmental act/dictate/declaration, from a territory against their will. A successful expulsion is a deportation.

Eve wasn't pushed out of Japan by a government official or agency. As such, it is either forced migration, forced displacement, or forced relocation. Even those terms don't fit, since the latter applies to people persecuted for one reason or another. On the other hand, what happened to Eve is likely is a form of displacement, which can be caused by conflicts, disasters, development, criminal organizations, political entities, and conflicts.

Moreover, it is accurate to say Eve was displaced, but not deported, as no government official forced her on a plane. Eve left the country of her own free will, although the driver threatened her with violence. This analysis is further confirmed by looking at definitions of "deportation," "expulsion," "immigration," "immigrant," "emigrant," "emigration," "alien," and "illegal alien" in the Third Pocket Edition of Black's Law Dictionary which I have on hand.

By these definitions, Eve would be an "alien", and technically an "illegal alien". She has a passport, but a fraudulent one. It is, ultimately, questionable whether she was deported or expelled, as there isn't enough evidence to say definitively that she was compelled to leave.

Eve's return to Nafrece results in a big reunion. She meets Vipere (voiced by Kaori Nazuka), who she calls the "snake lady", along with her partner-of-sorts, and visits her parents' grave. In a possible commentary on reality of the golf world, she gets sponsored by the Burton family, thanks to former pro golfer Alan Harvey (voiced by Shigeru Ushiyama), allowing her to achieve her goals. She uses her golf skills to destroy her opponents and re-firm support of the Burtons, which may have Mafia connections, in her.

The self-made and ever-changing golf course of Mafia boss Catherine (voiced by Umeka Shouji) reappears with gusto, in a callback to the first season of Birdie Wing. In order to win against Catherine's golfer, Remelda (voiced by Marina Inoue), and possible lover, the caddy of Eve, Ichina Saotome (voiced by Saki Fujita) joins her. In a leap of faith, she even quits school, at the request of Eve, so that she can offer the best advice possible. The savvy well-versed and knowledgeable caddy of Aoi, Amane Shinjō (voiced by Ami Koshimizu) does the same, in a parallel to Ichina's actions.

In many ways, Ichina brings realism to the situation. She realizes the danger in going against Catherine, through her golfer, Remelda, on a golf course that uses an absurd amount of power and energy. Even a hydroelectric dam overflows so the course can move with incredible speed. Ichina is rightly terrified after Catherine threatens Eve with a gun. She puts her hands up in fear. Eve is used to her life being in danger and easily shrugs off the threat. At first, Ichina seems like one of the only people in this series who is above the absurdity. As such, she doesn't recognize what Eve sees: that the course is a place filled with "money and greed". Nor can she could she ever do golf shots which have a ball skip across the water to get to its target!

Eve's victories are paralleled by what Aoi was doing, although there are entire episodes of Birdie Wing's season 2 where Aoi barely appeared! I liked that Aoi had her skill on the decline when Eve isn't there, but builds herself back up. The connection between Eve and Aoi remains, even if they aren't directly talking to one another.

Time and again, Eve doesn't waste any time deeming women as "bellissime", including Remelda, who she plays during the second season, and likely others as well. She even didn't mind when Ichina seemed to have a crush on her, with Ichina declaring that she'd be Eve's caddy "for life". She may have even have some feelings for Aisha Khambatta, who faces Eve later in the second season. Assisted by Leo, Aisha is a person that Eve describes as "incredibly dangerous".

The focus on found and chosen family is a big part of Birdie Wing's story, especially for Eve. Once back in Nafrece, she happily greets Klein, Lilly, and their adopted daughters. Thanks to the actions by Vipere, in season one, they all have legal status in Nafrece! As for Aoi, she has a chosen family as well, represented by assistance from her father, and her loyal caddy, Amane.

Although Seira later supports Aoi, she outs herself as a terrible parent when Aoi travels to a contest where plays Eve, and perhaps golf, for the "last" time. She forced/strong armed Amane to becoming the caddy of Aoi in the first place! Later, Amane decides to stay with Aoi, as her caddy. She does so even though she is no longer forced to do so, as an act of her own free will, indicating her power as a character. She may even have a crush, to some extent, on Aoi.

Birdie Wing is even more compelling when Aoi does her own golf power moves. She calls them Shining Shots, like Eve with her "rainbow bullet", "blue bullet", and so on. The absurdity of Aoi winning because of rain, over her opponent, Shikishima, in a game the announcer declares will go down in Japanese women's golf history, says more about the series than anything else.

The final episodes of the second season push Aoi and Eve to the brink, but especially Eve. She begins to suffer from the physical demands of golf, more than ever before, especially after she does her rainbow burst, combining the styles of Leo and her father. This is the "terrible price" she plays for this form of golf. This makes clear that neither Eve nor Aoi are invincible. They are as fallible as the rest of us, even if they don't want to show "weakness" on camera.

This reminded me of similar themes in Carmen Sandiego. Although Carmen appears to have strength and energy to do everything, this is only based on her own training. She has a terrible wipe out in the episode "The Stockholm Syndrome Caper". It causes her almost life-threatening injuries that she has to recover from. Kim Possible in the series of the same name is similar. She is a cheerleader and uses her skills to fight villains and "save" the world. She is not invincible either.

More than any other character in Birdie Wing, apart from Aoi, Eve is a lesbian icon. She only has eyes for other girls and never for any men, whatsoever. Not even Sumire Heanna in Love Live! Superstar!!, Mari Ohara in Love Live! Sunshine!!, or Nijika Ijichi in Bocchi the Rock! compare to Eve, in the slightest.

Eve might only be rivaled by badass huntress Yang Xiao Long in RWBY. Yang can go super saiyan if she wants and is deeply in love with catgirl Blake Belladonna. Hime Shiraki in Yuri Is My Job! or Anisphia "Anis" Wynn Palettia in The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady are other "rivals".

The final episodes of Birdie Wing's second season are some of the strongest. Eve's body can't sustain the pressure from her intense golf. She even gets acupuncture from Allen Harvey so she can use her Rainbow Burst without grievously hurting herself. Aoi perfects her golf and apologizes for letting everyone down.

The various health issues Aoi experiences don't stop her. She suffers from an awful genetic disease (Tuberous Sclerosis Complex). There are nice montages of both engaged in physical training to make their bodies stronger. They prepare for their match at the Bandai Namaco British Women's Open the following year.

It is powerful for the final episodes of Birdie Wing to center a Black woman, Juha Hamilail (voiced by Yuu Asakawa). She previously had been hinted in the show's opening sequence. In the next-to-last episode, she comes into her own. She plans to take the British Open for herself, putting her face-to-face with Eve and Aoi. Eve expresses the annoyance of yuri fans who may see Juha as a hindrance and believe Juha should get out of the way.

On the one hand, it seems strange, and possibly racially tinged, that the obstacle which impedes the protagonists is represented by a Black woman. Even so, she is not an evil character. Rather, she is out for herself. She believes that the unexpected always happens in golf, making it fun. She expressed this directly in the 24th episode, to her caddy, Karen Lapana (voiced by Shizuka Itou). Juha is a strong and gorgeous final boss, of sorts, making the series that much more dramatic.

The latter is similar to how Aoi feels. She enjoys playing golf with Eve, even though she can barely hold it together. This fallibility is clear when she collapses in the same episode, causing Even to shake her and cry. Not long after, she falls once again. She asks a higher power to give her one more chance to fulfill her promise to Eve.

The role of the two other caddies, Amane and Ichina, come to a fore in the next-to-last episode. For instance, Ichina gives Eve advice on how to get birdies and keep pace with Aoi. Amane helps prop up Aoi, who is faltering. Eve and Aoi express their feelings, in their own way, to another, seeing the golf skills each of them can do. This is something that Juha recognizes, remaining jealous that each of them has a rival which drives them to improve.

Birdie Wing, is, as well-known yuri reviewer Erica Friedman put it, "the shounest anime about women's sports ever made". As such, Eve, Aoi, nor none of the other characters goes the route of golf shown in The Phantom of the Open, or in various other golf manga and anime over the years. There are so many of the latter that "Golf in anime and manga" is a Wikipedia category!

The final episode shows Friedman to be right. Even after Aoi collapses and is taken off the field, Juha keeps swinging her golf clubs. Eve, for her part, openly defends Aoi. Eve visits Aoi in the hospital. To make this even more absurd, she declares their game is still on even though Aoi isn't actively playing her! One of the best parts of the episode is the surprise twist: Aoi cuts her hair and serves as Eve's caddy. Even though they don't win, thanks to sneaky and corrupt shenanigans by Karen, they still go out with a bang. Eve even uses Aoi's golf clubs. She has a new golf move, which combines her skills with Aoi's golf strike. It is named the Shining Rainbow Burst. Of course, her human body can't take all the strain and Juha ends up winning.

In more ways than one, Karen acts like a Karen: she slyly leaks to the media. She received the damning information, from Remelda, "proving" that Eve has Mafia connections. Although this rumor is false (as Eve no longer has such connections), it leads to an investigation. Her professional license is suspended for three years by the golf association! Juha shows a bit of a backbone, for the first time. She doesn't approve of these slimy tactics against Eve. Strangely, she doesn't fire Karen. She lets Karen be her caddy for the rest of the game. After all, she didn't even a bat an eye, and kept playing at full speed after Aoi collapsed. Unsurprisingly, neither Karen nor Remelda face any consequences for their actions.

The final episode of Birdie Wing ends strongly. In the first time skip, set three years later, Eve begins training with her caddy, Ichina, at a golf course in Japan. This happens after Ichina says she won't be a caddy for anyone else because she is Eve's personal caddy. Then, there is yet another time skip, with Eve and Aoi finally facing one another during a golf tournament. It appears that the affliction Aoi suffered from is cured and their scores are close. There is even a great scene showing all of Eve's sisters, from her adopted family, all grown up, and are now teens. The series closes positively, with Eve doing her Rainbow Bullet golf strike and viewers can see the bullet going through the sky, as the credits continue to roll.

[continued in part 2. Tumblr wouldn't let me post the whole review on here as one post, for some reason]

© 2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[clearancecreedwatersurvival]

It is absolutely ESSENTIAL to the sports anime format to have At Least one (1) child prodigy with Issues™️ and terrible social skills.

[yurimother]

Golf Girls' (Love) Anime 'Birdie Wing' Season 2 Releases First Promotional Video, New Theme Songs

On Sunday, the first promotional video for Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story season 2 was released on the anime's official website and Bandai Namco's YouTube page. The PV was released during a special preview screening of the season's first episode.

The PV featured the new ending theme, "Kimi ga Iru Kara" (Since You Are There) by Sarasa Kadowaki, and revealed that Kohmi Hirose returns to perform the new opening theme, "Venus Line."

Birdie Wing follows bullish underground golfer Eve. After Eve’s first meet up with Aoi on the grass left her in defeat, she’s had her eyes set on a rematch to return the favor. Both these up-and-coming golfers are highly skilled, highly unique and most of all, highly competitive. With dreams of making it pro, a rivalry is getting in full swing as they both battle it out in the biggest tournaments.

Takayuki Inagaki directs the anime at Bandai Namco Pictures. The first season aired in the Spring of 2022. It stars Akari Kiou and Asami Seto as Eve and Aoi, respectively. A second season was announced following the first's conclusion in June, although it was delayed from its original January premiere to April 2023 due to "various circumstances."

Critics celebrate the series for its ridiculous and campy story that twists tropes and rules of sports anime and the relationship between the main characters. The series includes Yuri themes and is set in the country of Nafrece, a fictional location appearing in other Yuri works by Birdie Wing writer Yousuke Kuroda. Nafrece also appears in Madlax and Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid.

You can stream the first season of Birdie Wing on Crunchyroll and look forward to the second season's release in April 2023.

[void-botanist]

Blorbo Felony Bingo

I'm taking @vacantgodling and @outpost51's open tags for this lovely game by @sarahlizziewrites <3

Rules: mark off the felonies that your blorbo has committed (not necessarily been convicted of)

To be honest most of my blorbos have committed maybe one or two of these, and in the least "criminal" way possible (such as forging their mom's signature on their permission slip). But I do have a few more active criminals out here:

I haven't completely decided what Marigold has done so the purple is for sure and the blue is possible. Also diversity win: they're both lesbians <3

I'll also leave an open tag!

[venisdamalo]

Oh, she will 🙋‍♀️

[iidsch]

its crazy that if you look up sports animes about guys they are all normal* but if you look up sports animes about girls most of them immediately scream sexualization and incredibly weird ass vibes

[rubidimum]

i did not know i needed a lesbian mafia golf anime in my life but i did

[dykesapphics]

Golf or hoes, which do you want more?

Is this even a question

[ladyloveandjustice]

My Top 12 Favorite Anime of 2023 (and more)!

This was a great year for anime, so here's a long list of my top 12 (including some bonus great anime). If you get tired of clicking the review links, check out my anime overview collection for all of them here.  You can also check out my list of favorite manga here!

Some of these are ongoing, so consider those only a review of the first cour-- no official endorsement on the rest because it hasn't aired yet!

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury (Season 2)

When I listed G-Witch in last year's top anime list, I prayed the show wouldn't betray me. Fortunately, it didn't! Though the final half of the show was a bit rushed, it remained must-see, compelling sci-fi full of exciting twists and turns. And I adore the well developed romance between the robot-piloting protagonist and precious girl, Suletta, and her fierce fiancé, Miorine.  Whether you’re here for starcrossed queer lovers, robots wrecking each other, tense battles between opposing political factions, or morally-horrifying moms on a revenge spree, you’re in for a treat.

See my full review here.

Yuri is my Job!

Hime is roped into working at a cafe where the waitresses playact as students of the fictional all girl’s school from a beloved novel series. However, Hime finds her co-worker, Mitsuki, has an inexplicable grudge against her. Thus begins a tangled web of romance and wounded feelings among the girls in the cafe! Yuri is My Job seems like a fun comedy boasting a cast full of quirky lesbians, but then reveals itself to be a complicated and fascinating examination of performance- as it intersects with queerness, girlhood,  and the desire to be “likeable” and “cute". It's top-tier lesbian drama full of fraught relationships and it's absolutely worth a watch.

See my full review here.

The Apothecary Diaries (still ongoing, review is for the first cour)

Though it's still going, I have to sing the praises of this dazzling anime about a saavy apothecary who uses her medical expertise to solve the many murders and betrayals in the Emperor's palace. MaoMao is a fantastic lead, a poison-obsessed gremlin who's whip-smart, deadpan, and fun to follow. The Apothecary Diaries has intrigue, well-developed characters, and an impeccable atmosphere. It tells a great range of stories, from romantic triumph, to bittersweet tales of recovering from grief, to pure tragedies. I'm totally hooked.

See my full review here.

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady

When Euphie is dumped by her fiance at a ball, the oddball princess Anis rescues her.  Euphie becomes Anis' assistant in her quest to develop magical tools. The girls also start to develop feelings for each other, while discovering a conspiracy among the nobility. I'm always desperately in need of cool lesbians having action-packed fantasy adventures, and Magirevo delivers. The characters grow in entertaining ways, we get to see them fight dragons in killer action scenes, and the romantic development is completely satisfying. It's a simple story at its core, but the lovable characters, joyous queerness and jubilant execution make it a great watch.

See my full review here.

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story (Season 2)

In the second season of the anime about girls homoerotically golfing while dealing with the mafia and ludicrous family drama, Birdie Wing remains a bombastically absurd sports anime that is fun all the way through. Please come watch these girls get ridiculous sports  injuries, scream their super golf attacks, experience extremely extra plot twists--and be super gay with each other, of course. The finale didn't go quite as hard as I wanted (and the romance is more subtexual than I wanted), but you need to allow yourself to experience the madness of Birdie Wing.

See full review here.

Skip and Loafer

An endearingly dorky, earnest, and driven girl moves from her small town to Tokyo. While she struggles to adjust, she befriends a nice popular boy who's got some baggage. Skip and Loafer is a show that’s like a warm hug. It's sweet, entertaining and funny. It handles adolescent struggles with tender nuance. There's a emphasis on kindness, connection, and looking past stereotypes and misconceptions. It also includes a trans character who's treated with respect (and is a great character in general!) Let this show touch your heart.

See my full review here.

Undead Murder Farce

An immortal woman has had most of her body stolen by a mysterious man. Reduced to a head carried around by her maid, she teams up with a half-demon man to track the thief down while solving supernatural mysteries all across Victorian England.

This a fun, campy mystery series starring three asshole weirdo protagonists,  it’s bursting with supernatural creatures and literary references. We've got Sherlock Holmes, The Phantom of the Opera, Carmilla and more...along with a vampire murders and werewolf drama galore. UDM is a wonderful romp with stylish, slick direction... and it’s unexpectedly really gay.  I’m aching to see more of these scrappy misfits and their adventures.

See my full review here.

Migi & Dali

A story of twins who are pretending to be one kid in order to fool their foster parents and find out who killed their mother. It starts out as an utterly absurd comedy becomes a impressive and genuinely tense murder mystery that is incredibly moving at times, all while keeping up it’s signature brand of goofiness. There’s genuine commentary on abuse, the damage you can do to children by forcing perfection on them, the struggle of being a foster kid, grief and recovery and more. There's also some great character development. It's a weird one, but it's absolutely worth sticking with.

See full review here.

Pluto

Somebody is killing the most advanced robots in the  world and murdering humans alongside them. A robot detective is trying to track this killer down, but he might be compromised as well. Pluto is a tense, tense, tightly plotted robot murder mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Through robots, it explores the idea of being a tool in a corrupt system, and tackles subjects like war, imperialism, and the nature of hatred. It's a masterful psychological thriller with stunning animation and a rich story.

See my full review here.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

This anime approaches the story of Scott Pilgrim and Ramona's seven evil exes from a brands new angle, and the results are great. We get a exploration of relationships and regrets, the messiness of communication and connection, the trials of becoming an adult, all with the signature goofy video game antics. Characters neglected in previous iterations finally get their due, new facets of the story are explored, queer relationships are delved into more, girls kiss...and it's all accompanied by phenomenal animation and a killer soundtrack.

See my full review here

Soaring Sky! Precure

Sora lives in a world called Skyland and wants to be a great hero. When rescuing the kidnapped baby princess, she falls through a portal to earth. There she meets her fellow magical warriors, and as Precure they protect the princess from the villains!

This vibrant, warm-hearted adventure got me back on the Precure train! This series boasts a lot exciting firsts for the franchise--the first official male cure, the first main cure that's eighteen years old- but above all, it has a lively team of characters with who have an entertaining dynamic and enjoyable individual journeys. It's often very funny, the baby has a surprisingly good character arc, and it's bursting with magical girl (and boy) goodness! It's also not afraid to give you an emotional gutpunch when you've been lured into a false sense of security by all the fun times. If you're new to Precure, this is a great jumping on point, and if you've watched it before, this is a series you won't want to miss.

I'm in Love with the Villainess

Rae is reincarnated as the heroine of her favorite dating sim. But she has no interest in romancing any of the boys- she’s head over heels for Claire Francois, the snooty villainess.

Villainess may not be as polished--storywise or animation-wise-- as these other entries. It's a messy series, it has plenty of problems...but it's also very fun, and it touched my queer little heart like no other. Queer people get to indulge in our imperfect faves too, and the silly shenanigans, blatant lesbian wish fulfillment, honest advocacy for queer people, and the joy and earnestness of the series works for me!

See my full review here.

Some Other Great Anime:

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (still ongoing, review is for the first cour)

Frieren is a long-lived elf who was once part of an adventuring party that saved the world from the Demon Lord. But now her friends are passing away and the world is moving on. She decides to retrace her old party's journey so she can understand what she's feeling.

Frieren is both an interesting examination of what happens after the hero saves the world, as well as a meditation on mortality, grief,  and the endless march of time. It takes you on a quiet, beautiful and sometimes touching journey though a pastoral fantasy world. There's some breath-taking animation and excellent atmosphere to enjoy.

See my review here.

Spy x Family (Season 3)

Spy x Family is pretty much staying the course from when we last checked in,  though this season gives a lot more attention to Yor, and I love the cruise ship arc and all the ridiculous fights she gets into a lot! That arc contains some of my favorite gags of the series too (like Loid’s  attempts to be a cool dad). Otherwise, Spyfam has settled into a series that intends to be around for the long haul, so don’t expect too much forward plot momentum. And Yuri (the man, not the genre) unfortunately still exists. Overall it was good season and remains a fun  adaptation. Yor, please step on me.

[electriccelery93]

[historyhermann]

Why "Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story" Is a Must-See Anime

Eve is an underground golfer who competes to support street orphans, using her skills to destroy the spirits of her opponents. One day she meets her match, a Japanese girl who is just as skilled as her... and the match is on!

Reprinted from The Geekiary, my History Hermann WordPress blog, and Wayback Machine. This was the thirty-seventh article I wrote for The Geekiary. This post was originally published on May 14, 2022.

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story is sports anime directed by Takayuki Inagaki. It centers on Eve, a girl who golfs illegally to raise money for three orphans, in a European county, Nafres, and the rich Japanese girl who matches her skill and determination to a tee.

As a warning, this recommendation discusses spoilers for the first six episodes of Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story.

Eve and her friend Lily outside of their residence in the slums

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story is much more than a common sports anime story. The latter is very popular. Some consider it an "outstanding" subgenre within shonen. Fans cheer for specific teams and become entranced in the plays of their favorite characters.

Eve (voiced by Kito Akari) is a scrappy, spunky teenager. She often works alongside her friend and caddy, Lily Lipmann (voiced by Akira Sekine). Eve uses her masterful golf skills to earn money through underground golf games. She strives to ensure that she, Lily, Klein Clara (voiced by Kinoshita Sayaka), Lily's sister, and Klein's three adopted children can continue living in their hovel in the slums.

This all changes when she meets Aoi Tenwa (voiced by Asami Seto). Aoi is a Japanese girl who likes playing golf for pleasure rather than for money. She is immediately impressed by Eve's golf drives and challenges her to a game. Their talents collide. Eve, nicknamed the "Rainbow Bullet", uses her skills to face off against Aoi, learning the pleasure behind golf itself.

Mafia bosses Catherine, Rose Alleon, and Nicholas, have dynamic personalities. The same is the case for Aoi's caddy and adviser, Amane Shoijo and Rose's right-hand woman, Anri. Aoi's mother, and CEO of Tenwashi Group, has a strong personality as well. The famous underground golfer, Vipère, also known as the "Grim Reaper", and junior golf champion Helene Robert leave a lasting impression.

The series also features characters such as Eve's former golf "master", Leo Millafoden, wanna-be professional caddy at Raijin Girls' Academy, Ichina Saotome, Raijin Girls' Academy adviser Reiya Amuro, and hard-working golfer at Raijin Girls' Academy, Kinue Jinguji. Skilled voice actors such as Shuichi Ikeda, Saki Fujita, Toru Furuya, and Nakahara Mai voiced these characters.

Also appearing in the series is golf ace Mizuho Himekawa, a golfer who works with Mizuho at Nadanan Sports Girls' Academy, Kaede Oikawa, a high-ranked golfer at Kaoran Girls' High School, Kaoruko Iijima, Kaoruko's golfing pair, Kuyou Iseshiba, a skilled golfer at Raijin Girls' Academy, Haruka Misono, an injured golfer named Chris Christie and Aoi's father, Kazuhiko Hodaka. Yukari Tamura, Yuu Kobayashi, M ・ A ・ O, Satomi Arai, and Kiyoko Yonekura voice these characters.

The series theme song, composed and written by Kohmi Hirose, and arranged by Suketo Makusu, is full of energy. It makes you excited about watching each episode. Hirose, on the show's official website, said that she arranged the song with "raw strings" and that she sang it with all her heart, hoping to give "more momentum" to the series.

Unlike other anime, diversity is central to Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story. In fact, a scene in the theme song hints that a Black female golfer, whose character has not been introduced yet, will appear in a future episode.

That is unique because anime and Black characters have a "sketchy past". Even with some amazing Black characters in the past, Black characters are "a little under-represented" in anime.

Although their names and voices are not yet known, Klein reveals, in the show's sixth episode, that her three adopted children, orphans who she took in, will be deported if she, Lily, and Eve are evicted from their home. The complexions of these cute orphans are shades of light to darker brown, implying they could be from countries in Asia, Africa, and elsewhere.

Even though the orphans seem to bond more with Lily, than with Eve, they don't ignore Eve. In fact, in one episode, Eve misses her match with Aoi, due to a late-night match with Vipère (voiced by Kaori Nazuka), a golfer contracted by Mafia boss Nicholas.

The orphans approach her in a childlike way, getting her out of her funk and pushing her to not wallow in her sorrow. This leads her to begin a virtual reality golf game later in the episode.

At the end of the fifth episode, and a major plot point in the sixth episode, is the issue of "urban renewal" and corrupt politicians. The former indicates racial injustices which are part and parcel of the system.

The neighborhood where Eve and her friends live is hinted to be a "dangerous" place, with shootings, corruption, and a presumed thriving black market. Even so, this is portrayed as a cold, hard reality, as part of a system imposed upon them.

There is more than political bribes, assassinations, and a Mafia-backed "redevelopment" plan in Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story. This show's off-the-wall logic and over-the-top melodrama come to the fore with the scheduled demolition of Eve's home. It is the opening salvo of gentrification, necessitating evictions and the destruction of residences. In their place will be a casino and the "necessary" accouterments.

There is debate on whether gentrification is a "process of change" creating conflict between new arrivals to a neighborhood and long-time residents or a process in which an influx of middle-class or wealthy people stream into a poor area of a city, rebuilding and renovating businesses and houses, often displacing the poorer residents. In any case, if the development plan is successful, the slum will be turned, over time, into an "upper-middle-class playground".

Although some episodes of City of Ghosts, an all-aged animated series, talk about gentrification in San Francisco, this anime is different. It smacks you in the face with its focus on inequality, immigration, deportation, and political corruption. This anime makes clear that some, like Mafia bosses, will do anything to get what they want, rigging and manipulating the political system for their benefit.

With Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story, you can't ignore, look away, or push off these themes as something that only exists in a fantasy world. They are something that the characters have to confront. After all, Eve's determination to face Aoi in another match resulted in Catherine (voiced by Umeka Shoji) using underhanded methods to get her into the U15 Women's World Championship.

This led Eve to unknowingly trigger the Mafia-backed slum redevelopment plan. The area, including the hovel where she, Lily, Klein, and Klein's three adopted children, is being demolished, along with other illegal shops, as part of a racially tinged "urban renewal" plan.

This makes her feel guilty and furious with herself, and with Rose (voiced by Toa Yukinari). After training with Vipère, who has become her friend-of-sorts, she sides against Catherine and Rose. She plays on behalf of another Mafia boss, Nicholas, and against Rose, her former mentor.

Future episodes of the series, with a possible 12-episode order, will shine a light on this subject. It is a topic that I've never seen any other anime focus on. It is something that Western animation would shy away from, wanting to be "kid-friendly" and appeal to network executives.

Aoi and Eve together in a virtual reality golf game both in costumes

The official site of Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story declaresthat this is the "first original anime series" which focuses on women's golf. Whether that is the case or not, girls' love, i.e. yuri, is a central component in the story. In fact, Briana Lawrence's article for The Mary Sue, entitled "There’s No Heterosexual Explanation for the Golf Girl Anime" inspired me to start watching this series in the first place!

Whether or not Eve or Aoi are a canon romantic couple, there are clear yuri vibes. This manifests itself in their interactions with one another. Both are excited to face each other in golf games and care about each other on some level.

From the get-go, Aoi is impressed with Eve's golf style, after she sees Helene (voiced by Minami Takahashi) walk away in defeat, complete with "Blue Bullet[s]" and other magical girl-esque golf drives. Eve is amazed at Aoi's developed golf skills. All the while, Amane (voiced by Ami Koshimizu) repeatedly fails in attempts to make Aoi "forget" Eve.

Aoi's mother (voiced by Yuko Kaida) even investigates Eve after Aoi gushes about her when returning to Japan. After it is clear that "Eve Aleon", her "official" name during the U15 Women's World Championship, is not real, she determines her to not be a threat.

She declares that since Eve is an underground golfer with ties to the Mafia, working for a crime syndicate obsessed with golf, she is not a "threat". While this going on, Eve, dressed as a catgirl, meets Aoi in a virtual reality golf game frequented by Japanese players. After Eve apologizes for missing an early morning golf game with Aoi, both play a round of virtual golf together.

Steve Jones, writing for Anime News Network, states that like any other sports anime, the rivalry Eve and Aoi have is romantic, as much as "anything else". This would be the case even if the series implies they are half-sisters like Cassandra and Rapunzel in Tangled.

Jones argued, in another review, that Eve dismisses Vipére's flirtation, declaring that Aoi's name is "already inscribed in her heart". He rightly described this as an example of a "real disaster lesbian hours". He adds that even if these romantic tropes are only a device to add more layers to the story, it "doesn't make it any less gay." I can't agree more!

The series has been received positively by fans on Twitter and elsewhere. Some have shipped Eve and Vipére, noted beautiful female characters, and said the show is amazing, and a masterpiece.

The Eve and Vipére ship has some basis in the show. Both train together for the upcoming match between Eve and her former mentor, Rose. The game, taking place in the next scheduled episode, will decide the fate of her home at a special golf course owned and operated by Catherine, a shrewd Mafia boss.

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story is more than "golf yuri" as Jones describes it. Rather the series is energetic, gleefully weird, and almost makes golf something that is cool and fun to watch, even if the sport itself is boring (in my opinion).

Accounts focusing on yuri anime news and anime fans have flocked to the show. Some have stated that the show has a lot of "girl bosses" and is "lesbians playing golf with mafia and explosions". Others love Eve as a character and declared that the anime is full of "hot ladies."

The three yet-to-be-named orphans of Klein are immigrants and will be deported if they are evicted from their home in the slums

You could recognize, as Jones did, that the series takes place in the Madlax cinematic universe. This could imply that the fan servicey yuri drama, Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid, and this series, are in the same universe. He argues that the writing of Yousuke Koruda has a lot to the ridiculousness of this anime, making it feel, as Jones put it "so special and stupefying."

All in all, there is no doubt that this anime is much more mature than Western animations, like The Owl House or The Ghost and Molly McGee. It has explosions, death, violence, blood, and all the rest, almost akin to Helluva Boss at some points. Even so, the orphans add a degree of cuteness to the series making you invested in the characters.

In fact, in the sixth episode of Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story, Eve revealed that she has no memories of her past beyond a few years ago. She tells Vipére that she had some sort of special golf abilities, implying that she is a golf supersoldier. This could be hinting that she is a long-forgotten half-sister of Aoi. In any case, human experimentation will likely be a future theme.

Episodes in the rest of this season, and a possible second season, may tackle Eve's often-overconfidence, determination to do anything to beat her friends, and reckless golf playing. Such passionate playing got her involved in some shady dealings. It also resulted in her becoming a walking advertisement for certain products, as she was at the U15 Women's World Championship.

There may be more rigged games too. After all, during the golf tournament, Anri (voiced by Omikawa Chiaki), at the direction of Rose, pointed a laser in Aoi's eye so she would miss the shot. In another episode, Vipère used a poisonous scent to throw Eve off her game. It remains to be seen if Eve escapes the web of Mafia control.

I'm not a big sports person myself and dislike the whole sports culture. Previous sports anime I've watched, like Kandagawa Jet Girls and Tamayomi, were only mildly interesting. Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story is different. I liked it a lot better than I thought I would.

Eve might travel to Japan, meet Aoi, and challenge her to a game. She might continue underground golf games and intense training with Vipére. Her shady, underground dealings may pull in her friends. Again, golf matches will continue to "solve" disputes. Although Eve has put Aoi in the back of her mind as she fights to save her home, they will cross paths again in the future.

Those who work on this series are a talented bunch. The show's director, Takayuki Inagaki, worked on Rosario + Vampire and Chio's School Road. Kuroda, the show's writer, wrote for Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, and My Hero Academia. A professional golf coach named Toru Inoue and the Global Golf Media Group worked with the show's staff to make sure it accurately portrays golf games.

If Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story ever gets a dub, Black voice actors may voice some of the orphans and the Black female golfer. This would add to the growing roster of Black voice actors for anime dubs.

The series is currently streaming on Crunchyroll. The next episode, entitled "Aoi-colored Bullet", will air on May 17.

Go watch this anime!

© 2022-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[clearancecreedwatersurvival]

The spectrum of sports anime runs from Near Realism to Firmly Removed From Reality.

On one end of this spectrum we have Haikyuu!! which wins over every other sports anime in terms of actually being about the sport. Every part of Haikyuu!! is either playing a match or preparing for a match and almost all of their abilities and plays are firmly rooted in reality. Is it perhaps slightly unrealistic that this one short guy can jump That High??? Maybe, but he IS a shounen battle protagonist (haikyuu follows the shounen battle format perfectly Do Not At Me about this I am Right. The battles are matches. Obviously.) and therefore Hinata being Just That Good and Kageyama being Just That Good is necessary for genre reasons.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is something like Birdie Wing, the lesbian golf mafia anime, which I have not seen yet (yet!!! It is on the docket!) but I did watch this video essay about it and I think Geoff Mother’s Basement Thew would agree with my assessment. Which is to say that it’s absolutely batshit off the wall wild and has very little in common with the actual sport of golf. Which is great for me personally, because fuck golf.

Somewhere in between these two extremes lies Sk8 the Infinity which at first seems to maybe have some solid grounding in actual skateboarding and snowboarding technique and jumps even if it is unrealistic that they manage to be mostly fine after high speed crashes with no protective gear, and then fucking Adam shows up and drags the genre towards absurdity until it culminates in a psychic skateboarding battle to the death.

In our universe entering a flow state is something that anyone who is really comfortable with an activity can do, where you are basically embodying the mindfulness principle of One Mind, perfectly aware of everything related to your task and able to act without thinking about it first, in what’s basically a moving meditative state.

In the sk8 universe entering a flow state means getting mentally sucked through a prismatic vortex into a hypnotic paralysis which can be induced by one crazed matador roleplayer pulling you into basically a vampire thrall and can only be broken with the power of love friendship.

[shera-dnd]

Not to be a fucking weeb, but I'm just so glad we live in the era of anime that we live in

Back in the day characters would have the most homoerotic declarations of friendship to each other and you'd still have to argue with people on the internet over subtext

Like unless you were watching a show explicitly about girls being gay you'd never get anything more than a "you're my dearest friend" said in a tone that made the word "friend" buckle from all the work it has to do

But now we have gays piloting robots, gays playing in rock bands, gays getting isekaied, gays playing underground golf for the mafia

And it's all so delightfully blatant

In Witch From Mercury when Suletta makes the cliche "but we're both girls" line, Miorine just comments on how backwards Suletta's planet must be

Then you have Kita, from Bocchi the Scissor Rock, directly saying that she has a crush on Ryo, and Ryo openly talking about how much of a chick magnet she is

Anisphia from Magical Revolution is even more blatant, straight up shouting at the screen "if I fall in love with anyone it's gonna be with a woman!" a statement that may not be taken all that seriously by her father, but definitely by her future father in law

Not to mention Aoi and Eve from Birdie Wing who - even tho they don't fully understand their crushes for each other - are so stupidly gay for each other that their two best friends refuse to let them share a room, because they don't trust them alone together for an entire night

In short it's a good time to be a lesbian who is into anime and I'm so happy to see how much things have changed in the last few years

Can't wait for the Chainsaw Man anime to get to the international assassin's arc so we can have an even more wonderful time as gay weebs

Now give gay men and trans people the same treatment you fucking cowards

[moderndaycassandra]

We're both on the sidewalk, walking opposite directions, about to pass each other.

I look at your hair, gently flowing behind as you walk. I try to turn my gaze away, desperate to not seem like I'm staring, but it's too late. You've already noticed, and as you look me over you spot the lesbian flag pin on my purse. You smile to yourself and slow your pace so our pass takes longer. "I like your pin." you say with a hint of playfulness, pointing to my purse. I follow your finger to the flag and blush "Oh, uh, th-thanks. I like your hair." I stutter, face glowing red. You offer a cheeky smile as we walk by, and I turn my gaze to the sidewalk to hide my rosy cheeks.

The next day, we're at the same place again walking opposite directions. We offer another round of simple greetings and compliments. "Good morning!" "It's a cold one today." "Nice shirt, love that band." "New shoes?" This proceeds every day until the seventh. This time, you come to a full stop. "So, where are you headed?" you ask, taking a couple of steps backwards to stay next to me as I slow my pace and look up, meeting your eyes. They shine with sincerity. "Oh, uh, just getting coffee. There's a little cafe just up the road." Taking the unspoken invitation, you turn on your heel and begin to walk with me. "Yeah? Let me guess, Rose's Garden?" "Uh-huh. The one with the cat." "Mind if I tag along?" My brain bursts into flame as my face erupts a beautiful shade of red. I pull my scarf up nonchalantly to try and cover up. "S-sure." We walk in silence for a couple of steps before you grow bored of it. "So. You go to school here?" "N-no. My friend does and they needed a roommate, so I moved in with them. What about you?" "Yeah. Not quite sure what I want though. Just taking gen-ed for a year or two while I figure it out. I think I want to do something with biology maybe." "Heheh, I'm sure you'll....figure it out." My heart is beating so hard I'm surprised you haven't commented on the noise.

We arrive at the coffee shop and order our drinks. We take a table by the window and talk for twenty minutes or so between sips. We talk about our interests, make jokes, and slowly realize we have a lot in common. This becomes our new daily routine. We walk to the cafe, get coffee, and chat for a while, every day. At some point, we trade phone numbers and begin texting during our free time. Every time I see that little (1) pop up on my phone, the flame of passion ignites; I've just gotten a bit more used to it. After a couple of weeks, we start hanging out. You come to my apartment and I introduce you to my roommate, the next week I come to your house and meet your cat. At some point, we start going out. We never say the word date, but you don't go to roller rinks, mini-golf, cinema, attend weddings, and go to fancy dinners if you're just friends. At least, not this frequently, right?

A year or so later, we're lying on our backs on a grassy hill. The ground is chilled from the autumn air, but that doesn't dissuade us. Our laughter dies down from the last joke you told as we stare at the clouds. I point one out that looks like a giraffe, your favorite animal. I turn my head to see if you're looking. And you are, but not at the cloud, you're looking at me. That same sparkle in your eyes and joy in your smile. "I love you." you say quietly. We've both said it before, plenty of times. But always as friends, purely platonic. This time, it's different. Something about those three words feels different. You mean it. "I-" my throat goes dry, the flame in my brain erupts into an inferno and my arm goes limp, dropping into the grass. The edges of my vision fade away as I stare into your eyes. My face grows redder than it ever has before, only this time I don't try to hide it. "I love you too." You reach an arm behind my head and I reach behind your back as we pull each other close. Time loses all meaning as our lips meet and we kiss for the first time. The singular moment feels like it lasted an eternity, yet it wasn't nearly long enough. You pull away, leaving our lipsticks smeared and mixed.

The next year goes by fairly slowly, not too different from the first. Only now, we're not just friends, we're partners. You're my girlfriend, and I'm yours. The passion and excitement still hasn't died down. Years go by, you graduate college and get a job. I go back to school and get my degree. We have two kids and we watch as they grow up and go through school and find themselves partners, just as we found each other. Decades later, one of us dies, leaving the other alone. Which one is which? It doesn't really matter. By this point, our selves are so ingrained into each other that we're incomplete, merely two parts of a whole, but one part is missing. It isn't long before the other passes, and we rejoin in eternity, a loving embrace that lasts forever.

Then, I blink. We're back on the sidewalk that first day and I'm staring at your hair. You notice, then look at my purse. You open your mouth as if to say something, but decide against it.

We pass each other in silence.

[flowergirlmiwa]

by the way i am completely down with anything and everything being incorporated into a "group of girls hang out and might kiss :ooo" anime. maybe-lesbians build shit? maybe-lesbians play golf? maybe-lesbians pilot gundams? maybe-lesbians suffer from crippling anxiety? all great! i want those ambiguously gay girls to do ALL the activities

here is a list of things i think they should get possibly gay women to do next

lesbians playing yu-gi-oh! lesbians compete in esports lesbians work at a library together lesbians that work at a candy manufacturing factory lesbians being tortured in the depths of hell together lesbians who work at a space camp for preteens lesbians that work on the set of the price is right lesbians who are really into collecting beanie babies and bond over craigslist lesbians that work at goodwill and dare each other to try on ugly clothes

any context where women can interact regularly and you can turn it into an anime please do it i need women injected into my veins i need them to hold hands semi-platonically