Warning: Potential spoilers
Title: The Calling
Editor: Tedblaak
Song: The Calling (feat. Laura Brehm)
Artist: TheFatRat
Anime: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Hell's Paradise, Bubble (film), Weathering with You (film), The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, RADWIMPS (MV), "Spare Me, Great Lord!", Eve (MV), NieR:Automata Ver1.1a, "Goodbye, Don Glees!" (film), Sk8 the Infinity, Howl's Moving Castle (film), Violet Evergarden, Suzume (film), Honkai Impact 3rd Concept Animation, YOKU (Eve MV), League of Legends - Star Guardian 2022 (game), Plastic Memories, Kororon (Eve MV), Kurusiya no Hitorigoto, Yofukashi no Uta, Mahoutsukai no Yome, Golden Kamuy, Five Centimeters per Second (film), Clannad, Fena: The Pirate Princess, Ef ~ A Tale of Memories, Ride Your Wave (film), Fireworks (film), Heavenly Delusion, Akebi's Sailor Uniform, Horimiya, Komi Can't Communicate, The Danger in My Heart, Fate series, Kimi no na wa (film), Dr. Stone, Air TV, Shelter (MV), A Place Further than the Universe, My Dress-Up Darling, possibly some unknown anime
Category: Drama
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Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story Season 2 Spoiler-Filled Review [Part 2]
Continued from part 1
Although there, sadly, wasn't a kiss between Eve and Aoi, the series was filled with gay subtext. While some may call it yuri-bait, it is more charitable to describe it as yuri subtext. In any case, the show was a fun ride. It wrapped up far too quickly, with many time jumps. Despite this, the ending of the series makes clear that the game between Aoi and Eve continues forever. There is the implication that they won't be apart and may even play again.
The ending could have been stronger, but I don't detest it. There is enough space and possible storyline, especially during the two aforementioned time skips, that a third season or even an OVA could expand upon. Such a season, or OVA, could focus on Eve and Aoi, or the growing closeness between the two caddies, Amane and Ichina, shown in the final episode. There is fan support for another season, or OVA. It remains to be seen if executives think the same.
There are other praiseworthy elements of Birdie Wing. The music complements the action. It accompanies the strong, flowing animation. The two highly skilled series composers, Kōtarō Nakagawa and Hironori Anazawa, make the series that much better. The former composed music for Gosick and Chivalry of a Failed Knight, while the latter did music for Scarlet Nexus.
Birdie Wing is nothing like any currently airing series produced by Bandai Namco Pictures, or those by Sunrise. Such series are supernatural action, mecha, or military science fiction. Bandai Namco Pictures is known for Gintama, Brave Beats, and Aikatsu!. Another division of the same company, Sunrise (also called Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc.), is recognized for other series. This includes Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, Love Live! Superstar!!, Love Live! Sunshine!!, Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, Tiger & Bunny, Dirty Pair, and Cowboy Bebop.
The series director, Takayuki Inagaki, worked on Fuuka, KanColle, Kokoro Library, Princess Tutu, and R.O.D. the TV. Yōsuke Kuroda, main writer for Birdie Wing, worked on Kokoro Library as well. He served as a head writer for Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid and Madlax.
The voice cast are just as seasoned and have often voiced queer characters. Akari Kito, who voices Eve, voiced magical girl Momo Chiyoda in The Demon Girl Next Door, Kanata Konoe in Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, Touko Usagihara in Akebi's Sailor Uniform, and Sakura Adachi in Adachi and Shimamura. Asami Seto, voice of Aoi, previously voiced Yoshino Takatsuki in Wandering Son, Charlotte Scherzen in Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid, Fena Houtman in Fena: Pirate Princess, and Nene Saionji in Yuri Is My Job!
Seto is scheduled to voice Yori Asanagi in Whisper Me a Love Song in January 2024. M.A.O. (voice of Kaoruko Iijima) will voice Kohaku in Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror. The latter is a Love Live! Sunshine!! spinoff which recently premiered on Crunchyroll. The voice actor of Amane (Ami Koshimizu) voiced Yang Xiao Long in RWBY: Ice Queendom, Elda in Otaku Elf, Maria in Management of a Novice Alchemist, and Sailor Jupiter in Sailor Moon Crystal. All these characters are directly or indirectly queer.
Akira Sekine, voice of Lily, previously voiced Sora/Cure Sky in Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure and Princess Charlotte in Princess Principal. Saki Fujita, who voices Ichina, previously lent her voice to school president Mitsuki Sonoda in Sakura Trick. Sonoda had a huge crush on Haruka Takayama. Other voice actors are known for their roles in Maria Watches Over Us, Yurikuma Arashi, D4DJ, Akebi's Sailor Uniform, YuruYuri, Strawberry Panic!, and Sweet Blue Flowers.
Birdie Wing will likely not be continued. Similar themes were likely added to the video game associated with the series. The connection to Madlax, since it is in the same universe, will remain a topic of ongoing fan speculation. I will always remember this anime fondly. It may be some time before another anime can shoot me right through, as Eve says to her opponents, like this one.
All 25 episodes of Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story can be streamed on Crunchyroll. The second season can also be purchased on Prime Video or on the Microsoft Store.
© 2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.
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With Fena: Pirate Princess concluded, I feel as though I can’t completely dislike how it ended in spite of how rushed and meta it became. What could have been a swashbuckling action-adventure on the high seas with ninjas versus pirates takes a hard left into the Matrix for no discernable reason. The whole “Maiden of Choosing” thing just comes out of nowhere while also alluding to Noah’s Ark and stuff.
That being said, I still felt emotional when Fena made her decision as Asami Seto’s acting carried the whole scene. Maybe if this had at least a few more episodes or went on for a solid twenty-four, the final three may not have come off as rushed. It would certainly help in knowing that a handful of pirates survived that ludicrous siege cannon blast instead of them just appearing in the end credits. Hell, I would have prefer to see them fight alongside the Goblin Knights against the navy near the end.
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