Ah, finally we get the long awaited Cabbage episode. It probably was the funniest episode of Rainbow yet, but that doesn’t really say much since this has probably been the most light-hearted episode so far. Cabbage is just so adorable with his genuine personality. He’s simple, and I guess that that’s why he’s the character with the least amount of depth of the six lead characters, but he definitely has his charms.
This also was an interesting place for this show to explore the yakuza of those days a bit. And thankfully, the yakuza here are well portrayed: they’re neither the stereotypical punks who can only yell, and neither the over the top manly men here. Aside from the guy who randomly burst in with a sword, of course, but that made sense. ^^;
This episode also had a nice anti-climax. It had it coming, but it was still pretty funny how Cabbage explained what happened to him when he stood face to face with that sword. To think that he actually called an ambulance in the middle of a yakuza-building.
Throughout all of the episodes though, there has been one theme that’s been huge, no matter what the series is focusing on: friendship. It sounds cheesy, but when the characters time and time again show how far they’re willing to go to protect this friendship that was build up in their time of jail, it has really worked as a red thread that keeps the different arcs together.
On a side-note: it’s a nice touch that the insert-songs here sound pretty authentic for the time this takes place in. We first had the rock and roll in the Joe arc, but the insert song at the end of this episode also feels part of the fifties and the early sixties. It’s a shame that the OP and ED couldn’t be the same. Although granted, that OP is great in its own way.
Rating: * (Good)
Wait, when is Rainbow NOT cheesy? =P
I really laughed throughout the entire episode. Cabbage is one of the most adorable characters in the anime. A huge cute and cuddly teddy bear, haha! His anecdote was hilarious. I have to watch the other episodes now, XD.