Watching Birdie Wing: Golf girls Story after having just watched a lot of Gundam entries was a treat to see. Despite it’s about golf, it feels like a mecha series. It feels as if they are more trying to fight in mobile suits rather with golf clubs. There all sorts of cameos such as Turn A Gundam and Victory Gundam Gunplas did one of the characters is into, the characters can read each others minds like Newtypes, their golfing styles and strikes get ridiculously portrayed as exaggerated powers, both Amuro and Char’s voice actors are in this, and one of their protagonists is a fiery woman that resembles Tomino’s protagonists, especially Kamille.
The rivalry between Eve and Aoi reminded me many times about Joe and Rikiishi from Ashita no Joe. Eve is a underground golfer who gambles high stakes in golf challenges for money. To her, she isn’t a golfer, but someone how only hits a ball with a stick for money. Aoi is incredibly adorable, though her appearance is deceiving because she is the type to crush you with her smile during games: the innocent tyrant. Such as with Joe and Rikiishi, the two become rivals, lift each other up with inspiration, and make a promise.
To say this is just another golf anime, is to be dismissive. I could not find a single unlikeable character in this series. Despite that it doesn’t have huge production values, you can feel the passion that went into this. the plot twists are ridiculous and always entertainingly hilarious in just how absurd this anime can get. It’s not meant to be taken so seriously considering that many of the players, especially Eve, often bend reality with how they play their golf. Despite the over the top episodes, the main protagonists make it clear and meaningful what their motivations and goals are as they develop.
Eve feels as if she were a mixture of Yabuki Joe and Kamille Bidan. She gives me the same feel as they do. Her childhood was rough, and traumatic. To survive and support her friends that became her only family, she helped some of them get out of the terrible things they had to do to make it, by picking up golf only as a means to make money. To her, she could care less about this sport, and she didn’t even consider herself a golfer. Because of her upbringing as a golf mercenary and strict training, she developed a quick temper, and shows no fear in the face of her enemies and when she is in danger. She supports the thrill of life endangering gambling, and embraces an informal and violently free spirited way of life that does not believe in bowing down or compromising. As a golfer, she doesn’t realize it, but she is paving her own path towards going pro. Her philosophy fascinates me because she is an oasis of uncrushable determination, confidence, all while being very confrontational and predatory with others. She does mean well, however.
Still, Eve is not a one dimensional character. This anime is the story of how she comes to love golf. She starts to open up as a character, and slowly begins showing a softer and more friendlier side. This is all because she met Aoi. Aoi’s skill as a talented golfer woke up something in Eve, and she began going as far as to start taking golf seriously in order for her to be able to challenge Aoi.
The series focuses a lot more on Eve, though there is still a bit to say about Aoi. Her parents were both famous golf prodigious who own a golf club brand. They raised her since the age of 3 as a golfer in order for Aoi to inherit their skills. Aoi became a force to be recommended with, despite her charming, innocent, and constant smile. As a result, she got bored of her 12 year old winning streak.
She runs into Eve one day, and for the first time in her life, felt the rush of finally meeting a good enough threat and rival, and it gave her life and motivation. She came to absolutely admire Eve’s golf, and desperately followed her and demanded they make a promise to challenge each other. Her caddy, who is by the book and very strict, doesn’t support this as she sees Eve as a wild animal, and sees no good in Aoi associating with her.
There are times where Eve and Aoi get separated, and you can see their rivalry build up as they can’t focus when apart. They need each other. Their golf needs each other. And the serious likes to play with how close they are becoming.
Behind the scenes, there’s mafia activity going on. The stakes run high as assassination attempts get made, and gambles between mafia bosses who use golf players as pawns and toys to bet on. Many times, the bets involve the players putting their lives or bodies on the line. Eve is going down this tragic path. On the other hand, there are those who already experienced this life that don’t want Eve to suffer the same fate.
The music, of course, hits well when it tries to uplift scenes were the players use creative moves to try and strike the ball towards the green. It can be a bit electronic, jazzy, and many fun insert songs get used throughout.
Coach Amuro is determined to make these two go at it. At the same time, there is something tragic he is hiding about himself, and time is running out.
Leo is a mysterious man who showed up one day and taught Eve his golf when she was young. Personality wise, he is essentially Char Aznable if he were to become a golfer instead of a Zeon soldier.
Luckily, a second season of this will appear for the 2023 winter anime season. That’s quite a while. I look forward to seeing just how much more ridiculous this hilariously entertaining this anime can get. I always appreciate the power of sports anime to be able to fascinate an audience and to get them to like their sport of focus, even if the viewer has no interest or even hostility towards the sport beforehand.
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