Truly a standout episode. Everything was on point, from sound direction, animation direction, art direction, etc. The most interesting thing is the outlook on not just the rivalry between Tama & Oguri. You also had the interesting focus on Super Creek & Dicta Striker. On Tama’s side, as we know, she wasn’t holding anything back for her last race. As expected, she ate up the competition when she was in the zone. The fact fellow racers were that intimidated by her illustrated the difference between them.
For Super Creek, we had her earlier in the season creating a surprising upset. She does find an opening to take advantage of, but sadly, even with more energy left in the tank, she still can’t catch up to Oguri & Tama. Could this just be her ceiling?
Dicta Striker essentially entered this race with a handicap, given how she started. Still, you have to be impressed with how she still performed lights out. Even though the bleeding was obviously painful, she gave it all she had. While Tama is stepping away now, Dicta did show that she can be a true rival to Oguri despite the results of this race.
For Oguri, who had knee issues in her youth, now she is living her dream. She was born to run, and since the start of the series, she has loved it. But now she is combining her passion for running with competing. That is also stated for Tama. Both are running the lights out for the number 1 spot, but both are having a blast. While it is true that Tama is stepping away, she is both a friend and rival for life for Oguri. Of course the countless support Oguri has gotten has to be stated because it is thanks to them she can combine her love of running with her new ambitions into a reality.
