Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
ephemerry
I am astonished at how commonly this series is skimmed over! Typically, sci-fi series with political intrigue seem to be voraciously consumed by fans in the West and so, why wasn't "RideBack" given more recognition? With the heated political climate and a dissatisfied populace at the hands of our current world crisis, now seems the best time, if ever, to discuss this series that is both tantalizing (with its action-packed, stimulation of mecha scenes) and a thought-provoking gander towards the world's societal structure!
⚠️ This review will be spoiler-free ⚠️
—Story/Characters
Even before the GGF (the "Global Government Force") became the pivotal antithesis to the free-spirited group of robotics-loving rebels, this series caught me. I have always been fascinated with the limber performa…
Read at the sourceYuiHirasawa-
SPOILERS BELOW
Rideback is one of those shows that evokes an odd sense of nostalgia, but perhaps for the wrong reasons. As I write this review I think back to what about this show causes this sensation – is it the animation? No – as a kid I saw perhaps part of one episode. Is it the plot? Couldn’t be, as it wasn’t until last year that even realized this show wasn’t a typical sports flick. My best explanation is that this show is nostalgic for me due to its music, with a good OP and excellent ED that has a plethora of plays on my old iPod. However, looking back now after seeing the entire show over the course of several months as part of my college anime club, I’m disappointed that it fails to live up to my admittedly unrealistic nostalgic expectations. Rideback is a show of lackluster plo…
Read at the sourcemouthpiece
Ride Back had all the qualifications for becoming a great show. Amazing production values (Madhouse is the king of tv anime shows), lively characters, well directed racing choreographies, political intrigues, and a pilot episode that promised a dozen different side stories. And it made a complete mess with them because of lack of proper duration and naive storytelling.
The story begins with the heroine Rin being considered a mediocre ballet dancer compared to her mother. In an almost stroke of luck, she finds a racing club in her university and drops ballet in order to delve into racing by using a new form of motorcycling called Ride-Backs. At the same time public unrest leads to various terrorist attacks happening around the world and the army plans to use Ride-Backs as a new form of wea…
Read at the sourceKlownArt
RideBack is boring. There are people that love this show, but I just cannot get behind any of it. I initially found the premise of the show interesting. Racing, terrorism, mech-bikes with arms, and so forth. Unfortunately RideBack is never interesting enough where I would suggest anyone watch it before a myriad of other anime.
The characters just never go anywhere until the very end. Sure we learn more about them along the way, but most of them don't round out until the end of the anime if at all. The protagonist in particular just stays in this annoying depressed state for most of the anime. Blaming herself for things that are clearly not her fault. I found myself saying "can we just get over this already" to the very unnatural reactions.
The dancing motif can also get old. We get the m…
Read at the sourcephazer11
Meant to write this review earlier. Good show. It's major problem was it's pacing. I suspect it didn't do as well viewership wise during the season and so got rushed. I really enjoyed the development and stories behind the first 4 episodes or so. The races were nice and you got to learn more about the characters. The problem I feel is the plot got a bit contrived (maybe it was before hand and I just didn't realize it) and instead of more character development with asides to the battles in the background with gradual immersion into the fighting; you go from an interesting nicely paced racing show into a fairly serious show about an armed conflict. It gets an 8 simply because MAL doesn't allow incremental scores.
Read at the sourceBucket2A
TL;DR REVIEW: A really fun and original show with a focus on character. CGI and quirky character design may be a turn-off to some, but its worth a try for those who desire a grounded and unconventional story.
Hey! Just a few quick things before I begin. Surely you know by now that its difficult to reliably put numbers to anime, so take my ratings with a grain of salt. They should give you a general idea though. Also, I have no experience with the source material, so I can't judge this as an adaptation. Lets dive right in.
STORY 8/10: The first and most important thing to note about RideBack is that it is a blend of several genres which, though strange, are integrated pretty seamlessly. A story about a ballerina riding robot motorcycles in a distopian near-future may sound silly on paper,…
Read at the sourceSolid_Cow
Rideback has perhaps the greatest drop in overall quality that I've ever seen. It starts out on the highest highs with a masterfully crafted first episode, then it slides down on the next two, still a great show with a great premise but not quite living up to the opening. Then the fourth episode drops, and the whole series falls off a cliff. From then on we get to watch our promising mech-racing show drown under all the needless drama and shoehorned war stories that nobody wanted to see. Rideback draws you in with the promise of an engaging, introspective sports series full of potentially great characters, then leaves you with a half-assed Gundam story and bitterness.
The first episode of Rideback is a masterpiece. If that was the only episode ever made, I'd give it a 10/10 and lament the…
Read at the sourcedro73
This is an interesting anime, to say the least. An ex-Prima Ballerina, turned humaniod- motorcycle driver? Yep. Thow in a corrupt faction, intense drama, vivid animation, and some character growth, and you get "Rideback". I liked the MC and the supporting cast of this series from the beginning, they were liikable or atleast understandable in their reasons for taking action or not to take certain actions.
The freindships are felt deeply and the characters are worth investing in even in this shorter series.
8/10 all around.
Read at the sourceirish5ive
I am very skeptical when it comes to "new" anime. I will be the first to admit that I believe animes glory days were found in the late 90's and early 2000's. But once in a while I'll break from my skeptisism and venture outside my comfort zone. Rideback was my break from the usual.
Immediatly with the opening credits I was hooked. A somewhat techo-pop song rips through my body, shattering all other introductions, and with its stunning visuals and perfectly blended 3D graphics, grabs my attention like it hasn't been grabbed in a while. The main lead, Rin, tears through Tokyo on an altered motorbike that now looks like a robot. The music pumps on. Now she's dancing, ballet it looks like, in front of thousands. Who is this Rin? What's Rideback all about? I needed answers.
As the credits end…
Read at the sourceGlacier_Silver
I liked most things about this anime. I love that never give up attitude. I loved the characters for the most part or at least the main ones; BUT with the story the main characters aren't really that important to the arc there aiming for. Maybe they where like we got this story lets some how shove it into 12 episodes. Well that was a big fail. Even with the very almost mech feel here, which if you knew me you would know that's why I watched this. The story made me go RAWRRRRRR yep, you pissed me! Wheres the justice, where is it. There is none I tell you. With another 12 or maybe 5 more episodes even, they could of given this anime some closure.
Read at the sourceggultra2764
This series could have worked better if it was entirely focused on how Ridebacks influenced Rin's character instead of the focus on corruption from a military-driven government and terrorist activity. For the most part, Rideback does do a decent job in exploring the development of Rin's character as she finds herself taking an interest in the vehicle as a replacement for her lost interest in ballet. As she becomes entangled in the military-terrorist conflict and realizes the original use of Ridebacks, Rin becomes disillusioned in the show's second half as she comes to grips over what would make her happy in spite of the hardships she has come to deal with.
On the other end of the coin though, the military/ terrorist conflict comes across as rather flat. Both the GGP and BMA factions don't…
Read at the sourcektulu007
Just about any idea has the potential to be good. It all depends on the execution. Rideback is proof of this because the story of an armed conflict between a corrupt militant group and a resistance group is nothing new. Isabel Allende likes to do it in her novels and we've also seen the idea in quite a few anime/movies/television shows and it's usually absolute garbage.
Rideback proves that this concept can be written well. How does it do this? It uses a few tactics. It puts the focus on a small group that's only connected to the conflict as a result of a misunderstanding and even then remains largely outside of it. It also keeps the focus on this group without connecting them to the larger conflict for about half the series which allows the audience to acclimate to them. It also avoids d…
Read at the sourceGhostalker
Watching an anime loaded with mecha stuff is a daunting task for me back then when the series was aired. At that time I'm no mecha fan yet but since this is done by Madhouse (one of the anime studios I really respected), I gave it a try anyway.
The story started with a young girl whose life takes a drastic turn when her dream of becoming a ballet dancer came to a complete halt when she was very young after an incident that prevents her from performing anymore. During those time, the world is experiencing a series of changes brought about by an organization in possession of a powerful new vehicle that will guarantee them military victory and political power for years to come. Years later, the young girl eventually becomes a young woman going in college with a very uncertain future. But, af…
Read at the sourceAkusa
While I did finish this series in a 24-hour period, it seemed forceful on my part to watch some episodes. Was I completely captivated? No. Do I rank this on my top list of anime? No. Could I have? M...sure maybe.
It is important to know that this series begins in a very typical fashion and follows the synopsis closely, but ONLY UP TO THE FIRST FOUR EPISODES. For some I can imagine that they would like to see the main heroine discovering her riding style and showing her prowess and creative ballet-based moves. If you are looking for the story of a talented girl who rides Mecha, stay away, or at least stop after the first four episodes.
This anime takes a certain twist (one that I myself was not particularly fond of since it was executed in a fashion worse than the previous portion of the…
Read at the sourceburntlettuce
What do you do when you fall down? Do you get back up and continue what you are doing? Or do you simply wait for someone to come along and pick you up?
In a futuristic Japan where vehicle's know as Ridebacks are all the rage Ogata Rin must try to pick herself up from ruining her career as one of Japan's finest dancers.
Rin herself may be one of the best things to come out of Rideback, as she is a terrific main lead. Throughout the entire series she tries to come in gripes with herself, and why she does the things she does. Why is it that when she rides Fuego does her heart pound so much? Why did I make that jump? Why in all of these flames do I feel truly alive? These are the type of questions she ask's herself throughout the series, and her coming into gripes and realization of each o…
Read at the sourceDragnoer
The single biggest disappointment I have ever had in an anime. The first episode was a perfect 10 in every way and gave me high hopes of the rest of the series.
But is was not to be. As the series progressed plot holes and character inconsistencies accumulated and compounded. By the 8th episode I knew all was lost, but I watched the slow motion train-wreck through to the bitter end.
The first episode and several of the ballet/battle sequences are must watch, but stupidity of the overall show may cause your brain to explode(and not in the good way)
This series would be worth watching for the brilliant music and animation, but
I can't recommend watching this series in good continence because of how the plot and characters are butchered.
Read at the sourcedystopias
This is the first review I ever wrote. And there is just one reason for it. I am pissed off. Completely.
In the first episode, I was heads over heels in it. I breathed, smelled and laughed with RideBack. That delirious-like state continued for a few more episodes, even intensified. I was sure right then that this is the best anime I have watched in a long time now. And then came the cold shower.
I should probably mention that I finished watching the last episode 5 minutes ago. So I might not be the most rational being at the moment. The promise and the letdown are the biggest two I have ever faced when watching basically anything up until now. The emotions portrayed as she stopped dancing, the feeling of pure joy and life as she discovers RideBack.. It was like I was watching a creation…
Read at the sourceLadholyman
Rideback tells the story of Ogata Rin, a ballet prodigy who, due to an injury, was forced to stop practicing ballet. Rideback also tells an alternate future story about a world government, the GGP, against the terrorist group BMA. These two seemingly unrelated plotlines come together and quite possibly make Rideback one of the best show to come out of the Winter 2008 anime season.
The first thing that caught my eye when I saw Rideback was the quality of the animation. The CG work in this show is amazing. From the very first episode to the very last episode, the Ridebacks were given extremely fluid animation and modeling, almost to the point of realism. I found it very neat to not have to suspend my disbelief too much at the Ridebacks, since they were animated so well. The character design…
Read at the sourcemistah-manila
This series offered a very innovative plot idea with a hint of a classic anime. Instead of having your plain old robot and person with an eerie past, Ride Back used a dancer and a motorcycle, then blended them into what you would call genius! I loved all the action packed into here with the twist up of a political feel. Plenty of fighting scenes for those who enjoy action and a very lovely animation design. A driving point for this anime could also be the fact that it stood out amongst all the other robot anime out there, and the fact that this short show equally balanced plot twists and action without overloading itself. Plus the music in here is well timed an the opening theme song is made by the same person who did the Black Lagoon opening, which in my tastes is awesome!
There are some…
Read at the sourceKyo_Kyuuby
Story 6/10
The background story is very vaguely presented and very little more is explained throughout the series. There were also 2 main things that bugged me: in the story, it seems that the world is ruled by an organisation known as the GGP.Not once in the entire series id somebody stop and bother to state what GGP actually stands for. Also, most of the time, the story seems to forget that it's set several decades in the future.
Art 8/10
Nothing special about the characters, sometimes the drawing looks somewhat bland, but all the RideBack scenes are pretty nice to look at.
Sound 9/10
The sound is the best feature of this anime, with some rather catchy opening and ending songs and good background music. Silent moments are also well employed.
Character 6/10
I found the characters to b…
Read at the source