A now 88-volume passionate series about a boy entering the competitive cycling world. A bicycle hobbyist and enthusiast, for racing, health and coaching, Yowamushi Pedal is Watanabe Wataru’s (渡辺 航) most famous piece of sixteen years. Back in March 2024, there was a Yowamushi Pedal art exhibition in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.
To partially quote “Urasawa No Manben” (浦沢直樹の漫勉; 2014 – 2023)–a program filming the secrets of manga (comic) creators in Japan, Yowamushi Pedal “conveys a realistic force and sense of speed from a picture”. Furthermore, “the protagonist Onoda musters all of his strength until the end, attracting tremendous support.” I would say that this is a “work hard” comic, which Watanabe strives for as an image for his comic. For Sports manga, a lot of emotion is required to be shown. The series has sold over 25 million copies.
A note: The latest episode of Manben featured the late Mizuki Shigeru, the author or Gegege no Kitaro on March 17th.
Yowamushi stands for “Weak insect”, basically a pest or a fly that can’t be bothered with. And that fits the main character Onoda Sakamichi quite well. He’s not good with P.E, he is often harassed or pushed away, especially by the club captains, he’s not aggressive and he doesn’t “have friends”. Therefore, he stays to himself and is an anime and comic/manga fan. But after watching two pro bikers and riding his mommy bike (AKA: A city bike) to the limit in two strange situations, something lit inside of him. It told him, “I can do this after all!” At this moment, for some reason, it’s often the sports genre and recently, detective fiction, that have pulled in my interest. The industries of bicycles, motorsports, baseball, and soccer are mainstream in Japan’s media, and somehow I’m pulled in by this culture as if I’m a native. The development of culture does require media and money, the participation of the population; these days, sports are attracting more female spectators. What are the factors of this? Or what are mine?
I was wondering why Onoda’s bike was called a Mommy Bike; it’s from the nickname “mamachari (mama charinko)” because mini-cycles were popular to women. Charinko is a term for a bicycle; it might mean that it rings? Is it an insult?
As for factors, and this is subjective, if I were to put aside sex appeal, I feel that both sports and any medium connected to the sports genre is healthy (see 5 proper reasons why video games are good for you (Part 1) ). That is due to the portrayal of the above-mentioned hard work, of confidence, and of connection. Sports being primarily male creates a social stigma among females and there is also the risks involved including finances and injury. What every person needs is a role model; Onoda found “role models”–becomes impressed–within those he met and watched. Anyone has a fire and it should not be ignored. He could be frightened, yes; he fell off (or flew off?) his bike many times, but he actually told himself, “I can do this.” Why did a weak kid say that? Why face the challenge? What have a “fire within” him?
Isn’t that all we need? We all have this thought: “I can do this.” Even depressed, we still say those words from time to time. This is also important in parenting, rather than just talking. I found myself being inspired by many things, very easily, that I might get excited and end up doing something stupid or underestimating my own body’s limits. Despite my parents telling me there was “no need to ride a bike when I have a car”, I still carried that itch for years. I hope my time to ride a Road Bike comes soon because it’s one of those things that I didn’t want to leave dead in the past.
I just want to say that nobody is useless. Maybe temporarily, but there is always some fight. And if you work hard, even if you lose, something else opens up. Or you can try again.
Off the mawkish speak and back to the manga: Volume 1 is over 400 pages and a half a handspan’s thick. I was really surprised and it turns out many of the volumes are like this. I wondered what I was in for. They are a little high in price compared to most comics so I may have to wait for a week or two for Volume 2. Onoda is a kind and relatable kid. at first, I thought Imaizumi would be a sour, arrogant person (enough of those bums in BLUE LOCK) but it turns out he likes those who doesn’t cut corners, a cool type but passionate about cycling. Then there’s Shokichi, who is a red-head and probably a typical loudmouth main character. Despite being flashy, Shokichi was a very nice kid to my surprise, and wise about biking. Onoda has met two significant boys.
One of the best pages was when he was racing Imaizumi, following a wager to get Imai to join Onoda’s Anime Club, and states “I don’t have any friends!” He pedaled so hard to catch up with Imai, a pro cyclist. Those words might’ve stirred Imaizumi, but one thing that stuck out to him was Onoda’s potential even on a city bike.
Planes and Books and Games 