Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story (Season One)
Eve is a hotshot golfer who only plays for money. However, she comes up against Aoi, a girl who truly excites her with her golf. In Eve’s efforts to play her again, she turns to the Mafia for help, but there’s a price!
Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story (Season One)
What did you watch?
I generally don’t watch that many sports anime but every now and then something pops up that catches my attention. This time it was Birdie Wing: Golf Girls’ Story and it seemed to have a similar premise to the ones I have watched – Kandagawa Jet Girls, Harukana Recieve, Iwakekeru, and Tamayomi. I think there’s a pattern there, but I can’t quite spot it… Anyhow, the decision to watch this series was a no-brainer. So, rather than wonder about what links all these shows, let’s just dive into the season review.
What happened?
Eve made money by beating gamblers at golf. She lived in a rough area of Nafrece with her two friends and three refugee children. They didn’t have much so she was forced to use her skills to make money quickly. The alternate was far worse. One such match saw her facing a local junior champion, the niece of one of her regulars. Eve’s game is daring and powerful and it was messing with her opponent’s head, which is a key component of her style. She shoots them through the heart and puts them off their game.
However, another golfer saw Eve playing and was keen to continue when the other girl forfeited. Aoi, a young golfer from Japan dared to keep up with Eve and even beat her. Unfortunately, they couldn’t continue their game, but Aoi made Eve promise to finish it sometime. Desperate to keep her promise, Eve turned to the Mafia for help. They got her into a tournament as a special invitational guest, but it wasn’t enough. Of course, the Mafia doesn’t do things for free. Eve was going to have to repay that debt…
What did you think?
I loved this series. I loved everything about it. Eve and Aoi make such a wonderful pair as they are so similar and yet so different. It’s as if they are two sides of the same coin. I honestly haven’t had this much fun watching golf since Happy Gilmore. I enjoy playing golf, but not so much watching it. Of course, the underworld side of golf and the insane drama were great selling points. The characters were just as quirky too and while this series is a lot of fun, it didn’t shy away from some more gritty and darker moments. On top of all of that, there’s a mystery to Eve’s past and there’s a good chance it somehow links to Aoi. This is a great series.
What was your favourite moment?
There were a lot of great moments with some insane golf shots, but nothing will compare to the game between Rose Aleon and Eve. Having won a high-stakes game for the Mafia against Vipère, Eve switched sides when her home was to be torn down. The game was to decide who could build a casino on that land. Eve won Catherine those rights, but Nicholas had a trick up his sleeve which meant they needed a rematch, this time with Eve playing for him.
Rose would represent Catherine and she planned on it being her last match. During the match we learnt that Rose had a prosthetic arm, having lost her arm when she lost another underground game. We found out because it broke and fell off, much to everyone else’s surprise. Rose kept playing. Eve was impressed, but she was ready to win too. Rose put her ball inches from the hole, but Eve landed her ball on Rose’s ball and bounced into the hole. These shots were insane and as soon as the music starts playing it’s hard to not get caught up with the excitement.
What was your least favourite moment?
I can’t fault this season one bit. It’s over the top and proud of that. To be honest, that’s one of its greatest strengths. I mentioned earlier how it doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects too, which we saw with Rose losing her arm as the price for failure or her life for failing once more. However, none of that compares to the part where Eve first met Lily and Klein. Eve had been found in a fire and had no memory of who she was beyond her name. That sucked, but it was the fact that Klein and Lily were clearly child prostitutes at that point. It never outright said it, but there were enough hints. I think that made their change of fortunes that much more rewarding.
Who was your favourite character?
It can only be Eve. I love her determination. That’s what has lifted them all up and given her a chance to become a pro-golfer. That’s what allows her to practice the same stroke hour after hour. I loved everything about her. The way she teased Aoi and Ichina to some extent was hilarious and she’s incredibly straightforward. You know where you stand with Eve at all times. If she doesn’t like you, she’ll tell you. If she doesn’t like you but finds you intriguing, you’ll know. I can’t wait to see how she grows in the second season and whether she gets any closer to Aoi.
Who was your least favourite character?
There have been some notable villains such as Catherine, but there haven’t been any characters that I didn’t like. If I was pushed I would have to choose Amane, Aoi’s caddy. She’s the embodiment of the stereotypical golfer. She’s proper and reserved, forcing Aoi to do things she doesn’t want to and stopping her from doing things that would distract her. Again, she’s not a bad character, she’s just the least interesting at this point.
Would you like some more?
Not only would I like some more, but I need some more. Luckily, I timed these posts so that the second season will have just finished. That means I can dive straight in and binge the entire thing. There are so many questions still to be answered such as Eve’s past or whether the Mafia will finally catch up with her. Not to mention the moment we discover the professional world of golf is not too dissimilar to the underworld. I can’t wait and I don’t have to!
What have you learnt?
At the beginning, things were set up to make it look like a world just like ours. Of course, the mask that Eve was wearing to disguise herself as a pro-golfer was the first clue that things weren’t quite the same. That’s some Mission Impossible-style technology. Things quickly escalated from there to the point that we had an underground variable golf course used for underground golf bets (lol). Then there was the virtual world where Eve and Aoi played golf and finally Rose’s arm.
By the end of the season, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a giant mecha flying across the sky. That probably won’t happen, but I think they’ve done a great job of creating a world where we’re willing to believe everything it throws at us. It works because it was done gradually. It’s like dipping your toe into a hot bath and then slowly submerging your body. We can tolerate gradual changes far better than sudden ones. Ultimately, this helps us to stay focused on the story which is so important given all the choices we have today. Anytime you give the audience the chance to walk away, some will.
Other Posts in the Series
- Season One
- Episode 1 – Rainbow Bullet
- Episode 2 – Innocent Tyrant
- Episode 3 – A Match Between Just the Two of Us
- Episode 4 – Vipère
- Episode 5 – VR
- Episode 6 – Rebellion’s Cry
- Episode 7 – Purple Bullet
- Episode 8 – Final Bullet
- Episode 9 – Ichina Saotome Wants to Be a Pro Caddy!
- Episode 10 – Evangeline is Frightfully Upset
- Episode 11 – No Matter How Tall a Weed Grows, It Will Never Reach the Sun
- Episode 12 – Are Aoi and Eve okay together? The Doubles Championship Begins
- Episode 13 – I Think Who Gets What Room Is Very Important For Girls
- Season Two
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