#kazuhiko hodaka

[comradeyurika]

This is so sweet. Eve knows her own faults, and even though she's normally so stubborn about doing things on her own, she finally has a dream to fight for that has shown her the power of relying on her friends and family. Each of these relationships are interesting in their own unique way, with the Eve/Aoi and Eve/Ichina ones being the most dynamic, but her found family and her lost family are also equally important in giving her the strength to achieve her promise to Aoi.

Klein and Lily gave her a home when she didn't have anywhere to go, and a reason to keep on living and fighting. Aoi awoken Eve to how much wider the world of golf was than she had given it credit for, and gave her the desire to get away from the mafia, Ichina taught Eve the power of relying on someone other than yourself, and her regained memories of Eleanor and Kazuhiko helped Eve remember who she was and gave her the strength to become a pro and know her place in the world

[idontthinkimokaymentally]

Hello there Kazuhiko Hodaka fans.

[yuricharisma]

Alright, so a friend asked me a question about how I felt about Birdie Wing now that Eve and Aoi are sisters. At first, I was like, how are they sisters, cause in my mind their fathers had different names.

Aoi's (supposed) father (I'll get back to supposed later) name is:

Last name is Amawashi

Then, at the end of the episode, Eve remembers her father's name to be:

Last name is Hodaka

While they do share Kazuhiko, the last name is completely different. However, they both look exactly the same. This could be a classic anime misdirect, bad writing, or something else we don't know yet.

Now on to my theory/hypothesis that Aoi actually isn't the daughter of Kazuhiko but is instead Couch Amuro's daughter. Here's my evidence, and remember this is a hypothesis I could be wrong, but let's also not forget we have an underground golf mafia in this anime so the skies the limit really.

Anyway, evidence A: Amaro and Aoi's mother are referring to each other by their first/given name.

Now, as I understand in Japanese culture, this isn't something that two people who only know each other do, but is typically only done with couples and even then some couples only say "anata" (you or mostly translated as darling/honey/etc). While this is the mental talk thing in anime, I also want to point out no honorifics, and while crunchyroll may or may not put those in translation, it was not present in the voice lines. This leads me to believe they were intimate at one point.

Evidence A.2: A sort of a bridge to the first point is that Amuro said "Aoi" when she collapsed

Now, this could have just been a spur of the moment concern. The other girl there was a bit shocked that Amuro said that, cause if I remember correctly, he only called her "Amawashi" before, as trying to hide any relationship to Aoi he had (again a hypothesis)

Evidence B: Aoi's collapsing issues are genetic from Amuro

Earlier, when Amuro was showing Aoi her new swing, he only did three shots and shortly collapsed while walking away

Aoi has been struggling the last couple of episodes and having the same issue.

B.2: Another side point here is Aoi's memories of her father.

Early in the episode, when Aoi is having a catscan or some checkup, she flashes back and remembers this:

Later, she remembers that it actually wasn't Kazuhiko who said this but

Amuro

Now, this is probably a crack theory at best, but remember, golf mafia. Aoi is projecting who she thinks is her father saying meaningful things but is actually Amuro (her real father). This one is a bit out there, I'll admit, but both Kazuhiko and Amuro taught Aoi golf. My theory is that Aoi grew up thinking Kazuhiko is her father, and everyone (Kazuhiko, Amuro, and Aoi's mother) decided for promotional reasons and media attention that Kazuhiko would be labeled as Aoi's father and to also avoid a scandal.

So there we have it, we'll only know for sure later in the series, but I also wanted an excuse for Aoi and Eve to continue their yuri shenanigans. If they do end up as sisters, then I guess the ship is dead, and I can still have shipping the other golf partners, Aoi with her caddie and Lily with Eve's caddie (they are arm wrestling in the op)

[nununiverse]

21 graveurs japonais contemporains. Avec des biographies d'artistes et des exemples de travaux de Junji Amano, Yoshisuke Funasaka, Kiyoshi Hamada, Shoichi Ida, Shigeyuki Kawachi, Hideki Kimura, Kiyoko Kobayashi, Shigeki Kuroda, Ahira Matsumoto, Mayumi Morino, Kansuke Morioka, Tadyoshi Nakabayashi, Masako Nakayama, Fumihiko Nishioka, Tetsuya Noda, Kazuhiko Sanmonji, Harumi Sonoyama, Shigeru Tanaguchi, Yoko Yamamoto, Hodaka Yoshida et Hiroyasu Yoshike. Editeur : Cleveland, The Cleveland Museum of Art : 1979

[regallibellbright]

Oh yeah they do make it explicit here - Aoi might be Kazuhiko Hodaka’s daughter, but Mizuho wants to establish that SHE’S the true heir to his golf style.

It was obvious even before she said it out loud, but yeah, no, that’s not going to be revealed as a season opener or anything, we’ve already got it out there.

[historyhermann]

Why "Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story" Is a Must-See Anime

Eve is an underground golfer who competes to support street orphans, using her skills to destroy the spirits of her opponents. One day she meets her match, a Japanese girl who is just as skilled as her... and the match is on!

Reprinted from The Geekiary, my History Hermann WordPress blog, and Wayback Machine. This was the thirty-seventh article I wrote for The Geekiary. This post was originally published on May 14, 2022.

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story is sports anime directed by Takayuki Inagaki. It centers on Eve, a girl who golfs illegally to raise money for three orphans, in a European county, Nafres, and the rich Japanese girl who matches her skill and determination to a tee.

As a warning, this recommendation discusses spoilers for the first six episodes of Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story.

Eve and her friend Lily outside of their residence in the slums

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story is much more than a common sports anime story. The latter is very popular. Some consider it an "outstanding" subgenre within shonen. Fans cheer for specific teams and become entranced in the plays of their favorite characters.

Eve (voiced by Kito Akari) is a scrappy, spunky teenager. She often works alongside her friend and caddy, Lily Lipmann (voiced by Akira Sekine). Eve uses her masterful golf skills to earn money through underground golf games. She strives to ensure that she, Lily, Klein Clara (voiced by Kinoshita Sayaka), Lily's sister, and Klein's three adopted children can continue living in their hovel in the slums.

This all changes when she meets Aoi Tenwa (voiced by Asami Seto). Aoi is a Japanese girl who likes playing golf for pleasure rather than for money. She is immediately impressed by Eve's golf drives and challenges her to a game. Their talents collide. Eve, nicknamed the "Rainbow Bullet", uses her skills to face off against Aoi, learning the pleasure behind golf itself.

Mafia bosses Catherine, Rose Alleon, and Nicholas, have dynamic personalities. The same is the case for Aoi's caddy and adviser, Amane Shoijo and Rose's right-hand woman, Anri. Aoi's mother, and CEO of Tenwashi Group, has a strong personality as well. The famous underground golfer, Vipère, also known as the "Grim Reaper", and junior golf champion Helene Robert leave a lasting impression.

The series also features characters such as Eve's former golf "master", Leo Millafoden, wanna-be professional caddy at Raijin Girls' Academy, Ichina Saotome, Raijin Girls' Academy adviser Reiya Amuro, and hard-working golfer at Raijin Girls' Academy, Kinue Jinguji. Skilled voice actors such as Shuichi Ikeda, Saki Fujita, Toru Furuya, and Nakahara Mai voiced these characters.

Also appearing in the series is golf ace Mizuho Himekawa, a golfer who works with Mizuho at Nadanan Sports Girls' Academy, Kaede Oikawa, a high-ranked golfer at Kaoran Girls' High School, Kaoruko Iijima, Kaoruko's golfing pair, Kuyou Iseshiba, a skilled golfer at Raijin Girls' Academy, Haruka Misono, an injured golfer named Chris Christie and Aoi's father, Kazuhiko Hodaka. Yukari Tamura, Yuu Kobayashi, M ・ A ・ O, Satomi Arai, and Kiyoko Yonekura voice these characters.

The series theme song, composed and written by Kohmi Hirose, and arranged by Suketo Makusu, is full of energy. It makes you excited about watching each episode. Hirose, on the show's official website, said that she arranged the song with "raw strings" and that she sang it with all her heart, hoping to give "more momentum" to the series.

Unlike other anime, diversity is central to Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story. In fact, a scene in the theme song hints that a Black female golfer, whose character has not been introduced yet, will appear in a future episode.

That is unique because anime and Black characters have a "sketchy past". Even with some amazing Black characters in the past, Black characters are "a little under-represented" in anime.

Although their names and voices are not yet known, Klein reveals, in the show's sixth episode, that her three adopted children, orphans who she took in, will be deported if she, Lily, and Eve are evicted from their home. The complexions of these cute orphans are shades of light to darker brown, implying they could be from countries in Asia, Africa, and elsewhere.

Even though the orphans seem to bond more with Lily, than with Eve, they don't ignore Eve. In fact, in one episode, Eve misses her match with Aoi, due to a late-night match with Vipère (voiced by Kaori Nazuka), a golfer contracted by Mafia boss Nicholas.

The orphans approach her in a childlike way, getting her out of her funk and pushing her to not wallow in her sorrow. This leads her to begin a virtual reality golf game later in the episode.

At the end of the fifth episode, and a major plot point in the sixth episode, is the issue of "urban renewal" and corrupt politicians. The former indicates racial injustices which are part and parcel of the system.

The neighborhood where Eve and her friends live is hinted to be a "dangerous" place, with shootings, corruption, and a presumed thriving black market. Even so, this is portrayed as a cold, hard reality, as part of a system imposed upon them.

There is more than political bribes, assassinations, and a Mafia-backed "redevelopment" plan in Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story. This show's off-the-wall logic and over-the-top melodrama come to the fore with the scheduled demolition of Eve's home. It is the opening salvo of gentrification, necessitating evictions and the destruction of residences. In their place will be a casino and the "necessary" accouterments.

There is debate on whether gentrification is a "process of change" creating conflict between new arrivals to a neighborhood and long-time residents or a process in which an influx of middle-class or wealthy people stream into a poor area of a city, rebuilding and renovating businesses and houses, often displacing the poorer residents. In any case, if the development plan is successful, the slum will be turned, over time, into an "upper-middle-class playground".

Although some episodes of City of Ghosts, an all-aged animated series, talk about gentrification in San Francisco, this anime is different. It smacks you in the face with its focus on inequality, immigration, deportation, and political corruption. This anime makes clear that some, like Mafia bosses, will do anything to get what they want, rigging and manipulating the political system for their benefit.

With Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story, you can't ignore, look away, or push off these themes as something that only exists in a fantasy world. They are something that the characters have to confront. After all, Eve's determination to face Aoi in another match resulted in Catherine (voiced by Umeka Shoji) using underhanded methods to get her into the U15 Women's World Championship.

This led Eve to unknowingly trigger the Mafia-backed slum redevelopment plan. The area, including the hovel where she, Lily, Klein, and Klein's three adopted children, is being demolished, along with other illegal shops, as part of a racially tinged "urban renewal" plan.

This makes her feel guilty and furious with herself, and with Rose (voiced by Toa Yukinari). After training with Vipère, who has become her friend-of-sorts, she sides against Catherine and Rose. She plays on behalf of another Mafia boss, Nicholas, and against Rose, her former mentor.

Future episodes of the series, with a possible 12-episode order, will shine a light on this subject. It is a topic that I've never seen any other anime focus on. It is something that Western animation would shy away from, wanting to be "kid-friendly" and appeal to network executives.

Aoi and Eve together in a virtual reality golf game both in costumes

The official site of Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story declaresthat this is the "first original anime series" which focuses on women's golf. Whether that is the case or not, girls' love, i.e. yuri, is a central component in the story. In fact, Briana Lawrence's article for The Mary Sue, entitled "There’s No Heterosexual Explanation for the Golf Girl Anime" inspired me to start watching this series in the first place!

Whether or not Eve or Aoi are a canon romantic couple, there are clear yuri vibes. This manifests itself in their interactions with one another. Both are excited to face each other in golf games and care about each other on some level.

From the get-go, Aoi is impressed with Eve's golf style, after she sees Helene (voiced by Minami Takahashi) walk away in defeat, complete with "Blue Bullet[s]" and other magical girl-esque golf drives. Eve is amazed at Aoi's developed golf skills. All the while, Amane (voiced by Ami Koshimizu) repeatedly fails in attempts to make Aoi "forget" Eve.

Aoi's mother (voiced by Yuko Kaida) even investigates Eve after Aoi gushes about her when returning to Japan. After it is clear that "Eve Aleon", her "official" name during the U15 Women's World Championship, is not real, she determines her to not be a threat.

She declares that since Eve is an underground golfer with ties to the Mafia, working for a crime syndicate obsessed with golf, she is not a "threat". While this going on, Eve, dressed as a catgirl, meets Aoi in a virtual reality golf game frequented by Japanese players. After Eve apologizes for missing an early morning golf game with Aoi, both play a round of virtual golf together.

Steve Jones, writing for Anime News Network, states that like any other sports anime, the rivalry Eve and Aoi have is romantic, as much as "anything else". This would be the case even if the series implies they are half-sisters like Cassandra and Rapunzel in Tangled.

Jones argued, in another review, that Eve dismisses Vipére's flirtation, declaring that Aoi's name is "already inscribed in her heart". He rightly described this as an example of a "real disaster lesbian hours". He adds that even if these romantic tropes are only a device to add more layers to the story, it "doesn't make it any less gay." I can't agree more!

The series has been received positively by fans on Twitter and elsewhere. Some have shipped Eve and Vipére, noted beautiful female characters, and said the show is amazing, and a masterpiece.

The Eve and Vipére ship has some basis in the show. Both train together for the upcoming match between Eve and her former mentor, Rose. The game, taking place in the next scheduled episode, will decide the fate of her home at a special golf course owned and operated by Catherine, a shrewd Mafia boss.

Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story is more than "golf yuri" as Jones describes it. Rather the series is energetic, gleefully weird, and almost makes golf something that is cool and fun to watch, even if the sport itself is boring (in my opinion).

Accounts focusing on yuri anime news and anime fans have flocked to the show. Some have stated that the show has a lot of "girl bosses" and is "lesbians playing golf with mafia and explosions". Others love Eve as a character and declared that the anime is full of "hot ladies."

The three yet-to-be-named orphans of Klein are immigrants and will be deported if they are evicted from their home in the slums

You could recognize, as Jones did, that the series takes place in the Madlax cinematic universe. This could imply that the fan servicey yuri drama, Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid, and this series, are in the same universe. He argues that the writing of Yousuke Koruda has a lot to the ridiculousness of this anime, making it feel, as Jones put it "so special and stupefying."

All in all, there is no doubt that this anime is much more mature than Western animations, like The Owl House or The Ghost and Molly McGee. It has explosions, death, violence, blood, and all the rest, almost akin to Helluva Boss at some points. Even so, the orphans add a degree of cuteness to the series making you invested in the characters.

In fact, in the sixth episode of Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story, Eve revealed that she has no memories of her past beyond a few years ago. She tells Vipére that she had some sort of special golf abilities, implying that she is a golf supersoldier. This could be hinting that she is a long-forgotten half-sister of Aoi. In any case, human experimentation will likely be a future theme.

Episodes in the rest of this season, and a possible second season, may tackle Eve's often-overconfidence, determination to do anything to beat her friends, and reckless golf playing. Such passionate playing got her involved in some shady dealings. It also resulted in her becoming a walking advertisement for certain products, as she was at the U15 Women's World Championship.

There may be more rigged games too. After all, during the golf tournament, Anri (voiced by Omikawa Chiaki), at the direction of Rose, pointed a laser in Aoi's eye so she would miss the shot. In another episode, Vipère used a poisonous scent to throw Eve off her game. It remains to be seen if Eve escapes the web of Mafia control.

I'm not a big sports person myself and dislike the whole sports culture. Previous sports anime I've watched, like Kandagawa Jet Girls and Tamayomi, were only mildly interesting. Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story is different. I liked it a lot better than I thought I would.

Eve might travel to Japan, meet Aoi, and challenge her to a game. She might continue underground golf games and intense training with Vipére. Her shady, underground dealings may pull in her friends. Again, golf matches will continue to "solve" disputes. Although Eve has put Aoi in the back of her mind as she fights to save her home, they will cross paths again in the future.

Those who work on this series are a talented bunch. The show's director, Takayuki Inagaki, worked on Rosario + Vampire and Chio's School Road. Kuroda, the show's writer, wrote for Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, and My Hero Academia. A professional golf coach named Toru Inoue and the Global Golf Media Group worked with the show's staff to make sure it accurately portrays golf games.

If Birdie Wing: Golf Girls' Story ever gets a dub, Black voice actors may voice some of the orphans and the Black female golfer. This would add to the growing roster of Black voice actors for anime dubs.

The series is currently streaming on Crunchyroll. The next episode, entitled "Aoi-colored Bullet", will air on May 17.

Go watch this anime!

© 2022-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[comradeyurika]

The relationship between Eve and Ichina continues to be one of my favorite aspects of this season. The trust that the two of them have demonstrated with each other really warms my heart, and you can see how they've each made each other stronger. It's impossible to imagine the Eve of Season 1 being willing to make a decision like this, but she's able to put her trust in what Ichina tells her. And Ichina in turn is able to turn off the logical part of her brain on the 18th and fully put her trust in Eve's golf being able to push through.

And at the end, Eve obtains an even greater power, one that stuns Leo as he realizes that Eve has managed to reach the golf that he and Kazuhiko could never visualize. Eve has now fully surpassed her mentors and reached the ultimate level of golf.

[comradeyurika]

Birdie Wing has really gone full soap opera in the best way this episode. Seeing the relationship between Eve and Kazuhiko in the past is really sweet, and I'm glad that they didn't waste anytime in getting to the expected reveal that Aoi's real father was Reiya, not Kazuhiko.

Of course, it's not enough for us as an audience to understand this, but Eve and Aoi need to as well. This rooftop scene is perfect, pitting both of their memories and lived experiences against one another, before Eve cuts through to the truth and it comes crashing down on Aoi, perfectly symbolized by the weather going on. I really like this because it shows how bright Eve is as a character despite the way that she's normally viewed by others.

And then understanding finally comes to Aoi about the other man who has been in her life since she was a child, the man whose golf she takes after even more than her own father. Her understanding of her own life is reborn standing on the rooftop as the rain and tears fall down.