English Dub Review: APPARE-RANMAN! “Duel”

Overview:

Appare and Kosame encounter a completely new issue: the foreigner, Al.

Our Take:

Al is the heir to a very thinly veiled BMW, and wants to prove himself by winning the race. He already has an inherent knowledge of cars (as well as money), and wants to clear out the naval storage facilities so he has space to practice. Unfortunately, Appare and Kosame are staying there, along with their newest member Hototo, so the two of them come to a clash.

Hototo’s backstory is what I expected, but also not. He is looking for the person with the snake tattoo, who is responsible for, or at least spearheaded, the decimation of his tribe. He is distrustful of a lot of people, and deemed an outcast to the predominantly white society. Even though Kosame treats him as a kid, and he is a child, he’s had to fend for himself. The show briefly addresses the American expansion and how that drove the Natives off their land, especially with force. Like I said in my last review, I didn’t think the series would touch upon topics like this, but that they are trying is quite the pleasant surprise.

Xialian is still gaining her confidence, I see. This time, she has trusted Appare to at least let him gain access to the spare parts portion of her racetrack. While she has a little more spirit in herself, asking her boss whether they’ll compete in the race, she still hasn’t made the full leap to becoming a driver herself.

What I enjoy about Al (and Sofia) is that even though he’s rich and prideful, he’s not extremely arrogant. He doesn’t think highly of Appare’s challenge, but he doesn’t act snooty about it. He is intrigued by Appare inventing the segway, but still has faith in his own talents. His pride comes from his confidence in his own abilities, not because of his status. This makes the challenge that he has with Appare, his sleek machine against Appare’s quickly patched together one, all the more interesting, because it’s a contest of skill. Appare is trying to prove himself, but he’s not really trying to prove himself to someone who highly looks down on him. He is trying to prove himself in a way that shows he’s able to stand on the racing stage, not because Al belittles him. So far, Xialian and Al make pretty good rivals; they’re not antagonists, but competitors. Quite a fun show.