Kandagawa Jet Girls Review: A Trashy Fan Service Fest
Read our review of Kandagawa Jet Girls, a multimedia project that includes an anime series and a PS4 racing game. Find out if it lives up to its promise of being a trashy fan service fest.
Kandagawa Jet Girls: A Trashy Fan Service Fest
Kandagawa Jet Girls, a multimedia project that includes an anime series and a PS4 racing game, premiered in the Fall 2019 season. While the first episode received mixed reviews, it is time to revisit the series and its follow-up OVA to see if anything was missed. Let’s dive into the world of Kandagawa Jet Girls and explore its trashy fan service fest.
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The Story of Rin Namiki and Misa Aoi
The story revolves around Rin Namiki, a high school student who idolizes her mother, a former champion in the sport of Jet Racing. Rin teams up with her shy roommate Misa Aoi to revive the Kandagawa Jet Girls club at their school and compete in the Kandagawa Cup. With Rin as the Jetter and Misa as the Shooter, they navigate through various rival teams and aim for victory.
Kandagawa Jet Girls follows the typical structure of a competitive sports series, with an enthusiastic newcomer and a jaded counterpart. The series introduces several rival teams that serve as both foils and examples for Rin and Misa’s journey. Surprisingly, the rivalries in this series are mostly friendly, with the opposing teams often forming bonds with Rin and Misa. This dynamic highlights the gap between the main duo’s relationship and where it should be.
Thrilling Jet Racing and Unrealistic Elements
The series can be divided into three major components: racing, relationship development, and fan service. Racing is the core premise of Kandagawa Jet Girls, featuring a unique sport called jet racing. Imagine two-woman chariot racing on water, where one drives and the other serves as offense and defense. The races are fast-paced and visually appealing, although some aspects are not entirely realistic. Safety gear is absent, and practical details like the weight of the riders are conveniently ignored.
The development of the relationship between Rin and Misa is one of the series’ strengths. Rin is the energetic and expressive protagonist, while Misa is the shy and aloof counterpart. Throughout the series, they learn to trust and care for each other, resulting in adorable and heartwarming moments. However, the character development is unbalanced, with Misa undergoing significant changes while Rin remains relatively static.
A Feast of Fan Service
Fanservice plays a significant role in Kandagawa Jet Girls, with its pervasive presence becoming hard to ignore. The series caters to otaku tastes, featuring swimsuits, cleavage-baring outfits, bathing scenes, and nudity in the uncensored Blu-Ray release. It also includes elements that fuel potential yuri pairings and encourage shipping among the various duos.
Visually, the series is average, with the machine designs being the standout aspect. CG is heavily utilized during the race sequences, resulting in mixed results. The animation focuses heavily on jiggling chests and exercise sequences, often neglecting other areas. Character designs cater to common otaku preferences, but it is refreshing to see non-racer girls not being sexualized.
Music and Lack of English Dub
The music in Kandagawa Jet Girls is serviceable, with a synthesizer-heavy score that enhances the series’ atmosphere. The opening theme, “Bullet Mermaid,” performed by Riko Kohara and Yū Sasahara, is a standout track that surpasses its accompanying visuals. The ending theme, “RIVALS,” is forgettable beyond its additional fan service.
At the time of writing, there is no English dub available for the series, and no announcements have been made regarding its release. However, an OVA episode is now available, providing comically disastrous results as the duos come together to create a promotional video for Jet Racing.
Conclusion: A Mixed Bag of Trashy Fan Service
In conclusion, Kandagawa Jet Girls lives up to its promise of being a trashy fan service fest. The development of the Rin-Misa relationship is endearing, but the series ultimately prioritizes fan service over everything else. If you enjoy fan service and don’t mind the unrealistic elements, the series may be worth your time. However, if you’re looking for a more balanced and substantial sports anime, Kandagawa Jet Girls may not be the best choice.
