Rideback (stylized as RɪᴅᴇBᴀᴄᴋ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tetsurō Kasahara. It was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Monthly Ikki from April 2003 to October 2008, with its chapters collected in ten tankōbon 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 12-episode anime television series by Madhouse broadcast from January to March 2009. In North America, Funimation licensed the anime series for English release.
Contents
Plot
In the year of 2020 (2025 in the anime), an organization called the GGF (GGP in the anime) 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
Rin Ogata (尾形 琳, Ogata Rin)
Voiced by: Nana Mizuki (Japanese); Tia Ballard (English)
Rin is a freshman in the drama department at Musashino University. Being a talented ballet dancer, she was expected to be the natural successor to her late mother Yuki, having participated in dance competitions from a young age. However, she subsequently decided to quit after fracturing her left ankle two years before enrolling at Musashino University, where she first comes across the red Rideback Fuego.
Tamayo Kataoka (片岡 珠代, Kataoka Tamayo)
Voiced by: Romi Park (Japanese); Stephanie Young (English)
Tamayo is a junior in the French literature department at Musashino University, being an upperclassman to Rin and Haruki. She is the current champion for the Eighth All Japan Rideback Race Championship using her green Rideback RBZ.
Tenshiro Okakura (岡倉 天司郎, Okakura Tenshirō)
Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama (Japanese); Bryan Massey (English)
Okakura is the adviser of the Musashino University Rideback Club, who possesses a strict character and a large nose. He was honorably discharged from the GGP.
Haruki Hishida (菱田 春樹, Hishida Haruki)
Voiced by: Yūji Ueda (Japanese); Micah Solusod (English)
Haruki is a sophomore in the engineering department at Musashino University and an upperclassman to Rin. He is an enthusiast of Ridebacks.
Shoko Uemura (上村 しょう子, Uemura Shōko)
GGF / GGP
Romanov Kallenbach (ロマノフ・カレンバーク, Romanofu Karenbāku)
Voiced by: Shin-ichiro Miki (Japanese); Jason Douglas (English)
Romanov is a colonel sworn in as the corrupt commander-in-chief of the GGP, who runs the government with a dictatorship approach. He is later shot and killed by Misawo. He is an anime original character.
Misawo Yokoyama (横山 みさを, Yokoyama Misawo)
Voiced by: Risa Hayamizu (Japanese); Jennifer Seman (English)
Misawo is a member of the GGP, who moonlights as a lecturer of the literature department at Musashino University. She is later revealed to be a double agent for Kiefer.
BMA
Kiefer (キーファ, Kiifa)
Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa (Japanese); Robert McCollum (English)
Kiefer is a first lieutenant and the leader of the BMA, who rides the black Rideback Black Knight. During the Battle of Arizona ten years ago, he served as a soldier in the same unit of the GGP as Okakura and Romanov before later defecting to the BMA.
Kenji Ogata (尾形 堅司, Ogata Kenji)
Voiced by: Kazuma Horie (Japanese); Jessie James Grelle (English)
Kenji is Rin's younger brother.
Other characters
Yuki Ogata (尾形 遊紀, Ogata Yuki)
Voiced by: Mie Sonozaki (Japanese); Leah Clark (English)
Yuki is Rin's mother, a talented ballet dancer who died six years before the series' story.
Kei Yoda (依田 恵, Yoda Megumi)
Voiced by: Sanae Kobayashi (Japanese); Cynthia Cranz (English)
Kei is a freelance journalist who works alongside her partner Sato.
Ryunosuke Kataoka (片岡 龍之介, Kataoka Ryūnosuke)
Voiced by: Hidenobu Kiuchi (Japanese); J. Michael Tatum (English)
Ryunosuke is an executive of the National Police Agency and Tamayo's older brother.
Media
Manga
Rideback, written and illustrated by Tetsurō Kasahara, was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Monthly Ikki from April 25, 2003, to October 25, 2008. Shogakukan collected its chapters in ten tankōbon volumes, published from May 28, 2004, to February 25, 2009.
Anime
An anime adaptation was announced in April 2007. The 12-episode series was animated by Madhouse and directed by Atsushi Takahashi. It was broadcast on Chiba TV, TV Saitama, tvk, KBS Kyoto, Sun TV, Tokyo MX and AT-X from January 12 to March 30, 2009. The opening theme is "Rideback", performed by Mell, and the ending theme is "Kioku" (記憶; lit. 'Memory') by Younha featuring Goku.
In North America, Funimation announced the license to the series at Anime Central 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.
Novel
A novel, titled Rideback: Cannonball Run (RIDEBACK―キャノンボール・ラン―, Raidobakku Kyanon Bōru Ran) was released by Shogakukan, under its Gagaga Bunko, on January 21, 2009.