''Rideback'' (stylized as ''RɪᴅᴇBᴀᴄᴋ'') is a Japanese

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

series written and illustrated by Tetsurō Kasahara. It was serialized in

Shogakukan is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics (manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan. Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hit ...

's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''

Monthly Ikki was a monthly ''seinen'' manga magazine published by Shogakukan. It tended to specialize in underground or alternative manga, but it had its share of major hits as well. The magazine started in 2000 as a spin-off of Shogakukan's ''Weekly Big ...

'' from April 2003 to October 2008, with its chapters collected in ten ''

tankōbon is the Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...

'' volumes. Set in Japan in the 2020s, it follows the story of college student Rin Ogata, as she comes across a two-wheeled automobile robot known as a Rideback. It was adapted into a twelve-episode

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

television series by Madhouse broadcast from January to March 2009. In North America,

Funimation Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...

licensed the anime series for English release.

Plot

In the year of 2020 (2025 in the anime), an organization called the (GGF) has taken control of the world. Rin Ogata was a promising up-and-coming ballet dancer but suffered a serious injury while dancing and decided to quit. Years later in college, she comes across a club building and soon finds herself intrigued by a transforming motorcycle-like robotic vehicle called a "Rideback". She soon finds that her unique ballet skills with balance and finesse make her a born natural on a Rideback. However, those same skills also get her into serious trouble with the government.

Characters

Musashino University Rideback Club

; : :A college student. Being the daughter of a talented dancer, she was therefore expected to be their natural successor, having participated in dancing competitions from a young age. However, she fractured her left foot while dancing and subsequently decided to leave it, later enrolling in the theater department of Musashino University, where she first comes across the Rideback Fuego. ; : :Third year student in the French literature department and a senior to both to Rin and Haruki. The Rideback champion of Japan. ; : :Head of the Rideback team. Possessing a strict character and a large nose. ; : :Second year student in the English department and Rin's senior. An enthusiast of Ridebacks. ; : :Childhood friend of Rin's. ; : :First year student in the sociology department. Being a huge fan of Rin, she is extremely enthusiastic.

GGP (GGF in manga)

; : :The corrupt commander of the GGP. He runs the government with a dictatorship approach. He is shot and killed by Misawo. He is an anime original character. ; : :Lecturer at Musashino University's department of literature and adviser to the Rideback team. In reality, however, she is a member of the GGP.

BMA

Note: BMA is an acronym for . ; : :A soldier of BMA, who rides a black Rideback. In his early years, he served in the same GGP unit as Okakura and Kallenbach before later defecting to the BMA. ; : :Rin's younger brother.

Other characters

; : :Rin's mother. A talented ballet dancer who died six years before the series' story. ; : :A freelance journalist. ; : :An executive of the Metropolitan Police Department and Tamayo's older brother.

Media

Manga

''Rideback'', written and illustrated by , was serialized in

's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''

'' from April 25, 2003, to October 25, 2008. Shogakukan collected its chapters in ten ''

'' volumes, published from May 28, 2004, to February 25, 2009.

Volume list

Anime

adaptation was announced in April 2007. The twelve-episode series was animated by Madhouse and directed by Atsushi Takahashi. It was broadcast on

Chiba TV , doing business as , is a Japanese commercial terrestrial television broadcasting company headquartered at 11-25 Miyako-chō 1-chōme, Chūō-ku, Chiba serving Chiba Prefecture but spill-over is received in the neighbouring prefectures. It is a m ...

TV Saitama abbreviated TVS, doing business as is a Japanese fee-free terrestrial commercial television broadcasting company headquartered in Urawa-ku, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Its intended coverage is Saitama Prefecture but with some sp ...

, tvk,

KBS Kyoto is a commercial broadcasting station headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It is doing business in Kyoto Prefecture as and in Shiga Prefecture as Its radio station serves Kyoto and Shiga Prefectures and is a member of National Radio Network (NRN) ...

, Sun TV,

Tokyo MX JOMX-DTV, branded as Tokyo MX (officially stylized as TOKYO MX), is an independent television station in Tokyo, Japan, owned by the . It is the only television station that exclusively serves the city. It competes with Nippon TV, TV Asahi, NH ...

and AT-X from January 12 to March 30, 2009. The opening theme is " Rideback", performed by

Mell Mell (stylized as MELL) is a female Japanese singer from Sapporo, Japan, who is signed to Geneon Universal Entertainment. She is a former member of the Sapporo-based I've Sound, and one of its main vocalists. Mell has contributed vocals to seve ...

, and the ending theme is by

Younha Go Youn-ha (Hangul: 고윤하, Hanja: 高潤荷; born April 29, 1988), known mononymously as Younha, is a South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer. She began her career in 2004 in Japan, where she was nicknamed the "Oricon Comet" for h ...

featuring Goku. In North America,

announced the license to the series at

Anime Central Anime Central (ACen) is an annual three-day anime convention held during May at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare & Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. The convention is organized by the Midwest Animation Promotion Society (MAPS). ...

in May 2010. Funimation released the series on Blu-ray and DVD on June 28, 2011. The series made its American television debut on July 26, 2011 on

Funimation Channel Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...

Novel

A novel, titled was released by Shogakukan, under its

Gagaga Bunko is a light novel publishing imprint affiliated with the Japanese publishing company Shogakukan is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics (manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan. Shogakukan founded Shueisha, ...

, on January 21, 2009.

Notes

References

External links

* * * * {{Madhouse 2003 manga 2009 Japanese novels 2009 anime television series debuts Action anime and manga Comics set in the 2020s Fiction set in 2025 Funimation Gagaga Bunko Light novels Madhouse (company) Mecha anime and manga NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan Novels set in the 2020s Seinen manga Shogakukan franchises Shogakukan manga Television series set in the 2020s