Short synopsis: Haru and Minamo go on a date.
Highlights: Really, can RD get any more awesome than this?
Overall Enjoyment Value: 9/10
If you’re wondering why this entry is so fast, I’m experimenting this time with Horribleraws. I’ve used them as well on Ultraviolet’s first episode as well (great show, by the way), in order to see whether they’re really that horrible. Well, the video and audio-quality are indeed not that good, and the Japanese commercials are even more annoying than the things we have to endure on Dutch tv, but the speed of these guys is quite impressive. Heck, I remember how they released Kaiba, more than two days before any other source got hold of another version. Right now, their quality is pretty horrible, but it’s going to be interesting if they manage to improve their quality as time goes on…
In any case, enough off-topic, because this episode of Real Drive was just AWESOME, even though it goes into an entirely different direction from the rest of the series. Basically, like mentioned above, there is no case in this episode, and all that happens is that Haru tries to chase off a bee that parked itself on a sleeping Minamo’s nose (really hilarious) and the two of them going on a date afterwards, where Haru’s past gets revealed. The entire thing was basically one huge chunk of nostalgia, and the result was absolutely charming.
During said flashbacks, some entirely new background tunes started playing. As it turns out, Haru’s biggest inspiration to become a diver was a group of dolphins he used to play with as a child. Ever since, he’s been fascinated with them. This episode shows us exactly how he went from a casual diver to a professional one, and met Minamo’s grandmother and Kushima and started working with them. He turned out to be an expert in skin-diving, which is why he probably was used in order to retrieve the red stuff in episode one.
I could praise this episode to heavens, but this is really one of these episodes you need to see for yourself in order to understand its awesomeness. Let me just say that if this series is already this awesome at its 13th episode, the God knows what the creators have in store for the rest of this series…
One of the reasons I love this show is because of how it reminds me so much of Okinawa when I was stationed there (I’m active duty American military), from the easy going pace (of the Okinawan people and of the episodes) and the idyllic beach and gorgeous oceanic scenery. Sad to say I never got a chance to do any scuba diving while I was there (something I’ll change if I ever go back there one of these days), but I did do a lot of snorkeling and the sights are awesome. This show brings back a lot of those great memories. Real Drive just resonates with me somehow, and how the future of mankind and technology should be more optimistic rather than dark and forboding like it’s usually shown in anime.
If only the subs would come out quicker for this show!
Thanks for bringing back those quick synopsises! =)
wow now im thinking that I really have to catch up on RD…only if my computer would stop giving me so much trouble ¬¬
I know this is late, but seriously. INCREDIBLE episode.
do you guys know what is the name of the insert song in this episode?