Anime Reviews (2010-2019): Chidori RSC - Complete Collection (2019)

While “Chidori RSC” may be great for those who like cheerfully sweet anime series, but I felt the storyline was average at best.

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TITLE: Chidori RSC – Complete Collection

ANIME RELEASE DATE: 2019

DURATION: Episodes 1-12

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English and Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0, Subtitles: English subtitles

COMPANY: Sentai Filmworks

RATING: TV 14

Release Date: December 15, 2020

Originally created by Salmiakki

Directed by Takahashi Masanori

Series Composition by Takahashi Tatsuya

Music by Hono Satoshi

Character Design by Mukaigawara Ken

Art Director: Onishi Tatsuro

Anime Production: Studio 3Hz

Featuring the following voice talent:

Machico/Brittney Karbowski as Hikari Kokura

Yamaki Anna/Genevieve Simmons as Yukio Igarashi

Kumada Akane/Juliet Simmons as Izimi Shibusawa

Minami Saki/Patricia Duran as Erika Meinohama

Fujiwara Natsumi/Alyssa Simmons as Akira Shinonome

Fujii Yukiyo/Avery Smithhart as Yuko Tsurumaki

Takahashi Minami/Christina Kelly as Karen Sakashita

Kono Hiyori/Heidi Hinkel as Ako Toma

Nazuka Kaori/Joanne Bonasso as Nodoka Ogura

Ueda Reina/Maggie Flecknoe as Misa Kuroi

Tadokoro Azusa/Melissa Molano as Marina Tsuji

Iwami Manaka/Natalie Rial as Ryoko Mochizuki

M.A.O/Olivia Swasey as Rei Asakura

Due to firearms restrictions, sharp-shooting tournaments in Japan are held using special rifles that fire beams of light instead of bullets… and since devices that fire pulses of photons are so much safer than weapons that shoot live ammunition, there’s little reason for age restrictions at shooting matches. As a result, many Japanese schools now have shooting clubs that compete against each other, culminating in nationwide contests!

However, when Olympic hopeful Hikari Kokura transfers to Chidori High, she’s alarmed to discover that the Chidori High School Rifle Shooting Club she’d planned on joining has been dropped due to lack of interest. Convincing her friends and classmates to join this offbeat club will be just the first target in Hikari’s ambitious plans as a team of young markswomen set their sights on going all the way to the national championships!

In 2019, the four-panel manga series “Rifle is Beautiful” (serialized online on Shueisha’s “Tonari no Young Jump” website) by Salmiakki was adapted into an anime series courtesy of studio 3Hz.

The anime series was released on Blu-ray courtesy of Sentai Filmworks under the title “Chidori RSC” and is the first anime series to focus on beam rifle shooting.

For those who don’t know, in Japan, carrying firearms is illegal and only police but in recent years, “Laser Beam Rifles” are becoming more common and at ranges, rifle shooting is scene not for defense but as a precision sport like archery.

The anime series revolves around a group of friends who join the Chidori High School Rifle Shooting Club.

Kokura Hikari is the often bright and cheerful Kokura Hikari who wants to improve her shooting skills, so she can one day take part in the Olympics.

Hikari is joined by her childhood friend Shibusawa Izumi (who loves cooking and reading), the popular Meinohama Erika who leads the club and skilled with the rifle, The non-expressive Igarashi Yukio who is known for her accuracy. The group is advised by their teacher Tsurumaki Yuko.

Throughout the series the group take on competitions against other rivals from other high schools but they also make friends and have the same dream of taking the top place at the High School Rifle Shooting Competition.

For the most part, “Chidori RSC” is one of those anime series for those who like sugary sweet, cheerful friendship anime series.

A series about camaraderie but also a series to help popularize the sport of beam rifle shooting.

I noticed there are those who wonder why create an anime series about beam rifle shooting because that would be boring for those who watch this series outside of Japan.

The perspective of gun use, between those in Japan and those in the outside world is that in America, they are thought as for protection, for hunting, for sport and for some, collecting.

In Japan, it’s primarily for sport, considering Japan has one of the strictest laws towards firearms. It’s a sport about precision shooting and for those who want to even use a firearm at a range, Japanese would have to go through testing, take classes and renew their license every three years.

But this series is more about competition and friendship through beam rifle shooting. Group of high school students who want to challenge each other and challenge their rivals from other schools in preparation for a tournament.

Did I find the anime series to be exciting or fun? Well, for me, it’s a bit to sweet and cheerful for my taste. They do try to add in some fan service (ie. characters joking about Hikari’s breast size) to those who are quiet, wanting to prove themselves as competitors.

But you really don’t feel any major drama, it’s a happy and cheerful anime series from beginning to end.

While “Chidori RSC” may be great for those who like cheerfully sweet anime series, but I felt the storyline was average at best.

Click here to Purchase This Blu-ray on Amazon