Chidori RSC Episode 5: Battle for Nationals

The time for qualifiers has arrived in the fifth episode of Chidori RSC. Hikari is in the first group up to shoot, and she has got quite the uphill battle if she wants to make it to the Nationals.

Yuuko hasn’t driven since getting her license

The Chidori Rifle Shooting Club participate in qualifiers for Nationals in this episode of Chidori RSC. The focus here is on the first group up to shoot, which includes Hikari in its number, as well as the vice president of Asaka’s Rifle Shooting Club.

Iseoka High’s Rifle Shooting Club

Besides Chidori and Asaka’s Rifle Shooting Clubs, who we have already met, there are two more competing in these qualifiers. First are Iseoka High School, who are hosting the qualifiers. They aren’t exactly optimistic about their chances.

Kiritani First

The Kiritani First girls are certainly a quirky bunch, and it seems Rei Asakura – that’s her in the centre in the screenshot above – has a rivalry with Akira. Plenty of new characters introduced in this episode.

Yuuko continues to be excellent

Hikari, Yukio, Izumi and Erika intend to make it to Nationals

The first part of this episode is mostly focusing on what each of the girls do before the qualifier – and not just the girls from Chidori, but Asaka as well. We also get a little pre-competition interaction between the girls from the various schools, before finally diving into the shooting.

Hikari lines up a shot

You know what? Previously I’ve said that this event isn’t all that interesting to watch, and I feel like this episode set out to prove me wrong. I don’t know whether its the insert song, or the anime actually managing to convey a sense of pressure or whatever, but I really found myself getting drawn in by this competition.

Erika and Yukio clearly have faith in Hikari…

Turns out that Hikari might actually be something of a dark horse in this particular competition. Perhaps that also contributes to the shooting actually being interesting this time around; she is changing the impression everyone had of her (except, perhaps, Izumi). Though whether she is able to keep that up right until the end… well, you’ll just have to watch this episode to see.

This episode managed to achieve something important: present beam rifle shooting in a way that was fun to watch, or at least that’s what I felt. I am very eager to see how Hikari’s friends perform when their respective turns come up; either they’ll be getting one episode each, or the others will all be covered in the next couple of episodes. Either way, I’m totally up for seeing more of the competition.

Great episode.