You're sure it doesn't look odd?
Not at all, Kana-chan.
I'd say you look better than most.
Some people say foreigners don't suit yukata one bit,
but maybe his Japanese half or DNA is making all the difference?
Well, Mom?
Tell me what you think of my yukata.
Well, of course, I think you look cute, too, Ren-chan.
You're not even looking!
I'm looking forward to my first Japanese fireworks display.
They must have fireworks in England.
Oh, sure.
In particular, I remember my mum taking me out in London on Guy Fawkes Night.
Wow, really?
I have a request, Ren.
What? Why are you being so formal?
I'd like to take a picture of you.
A picture? Of me in my yukata?
That's a no, then?
I-I didn't say that.
Thank you, Ren.
If it's what you really want, take as many as you like.
Here we go.
W-Wait, I know I looked ugly in that one. Take another!
Thanks. You're the cutest in the world, Ren.
I seriously have no idea what English guys consider cute.
Sparks Fly
Since we're taking pictures, let's get one of both of us in our yukatas.
Should I ask someone to take it for us?
Good idea.
Thank you so much.
Oh, right. It's the Enoshima fireworks festival today.
That's right. Ren and Kana-chan looked thrilled to be going out in yukata.
They were like two peas in a pod.
Sometimes, they seem like real siblings to me.
And maybe someday...
When I see those fireworks,
it reminds me summer's ending, and that makes me a little sad.
I read somewhere that getting sentimental over the end of summer
is unique to Japan.
Really? Why would that be?
Japan apparently has the richest four seasons in the whole world.
Amazing.
I've never seen such impressive fireworks before.
I love that firework smell.
It really is beautiful, Ren.
Kanata's having such a good time. I'm so glad I invited him.
So much has happened, both happy and sad.
This summer really has been jam-packed.
Goodbye, my 17th summer.
It wasn't lonely at all this year, thanks to Kanata.
I hope I can spend next year with him, too. And even more after that.
I wonder if, little by little, I'm starting to want more and more.
Impressive.
Hold up a sec! Don't forget our promise!
We said no attacking corners until I get out, Kanata!
Yes, of course.
Amazing, Mr. Okuyama. I'm shocked at how much the 86 has evolved.
Too fast! Too fast! Even this is too fast!
All right. I'm off.
Yeah, you can go all out now.
Even compared to the upgrades for the third race at Manazuru, I can feel changes.
I've got more downforce.
Going over bumps before, I'd have to lift off to keep control.
But now, with the air pushing the car down into the road, I can go full throttle.
He said he didn't change the turbo levels,
but the engine's clearly revving much sharper than before.
You've put me in a spot of bother, Mr. Okuyama.
With a car like this, I won't be able to make any excuses.
Nozomi and Kakeru?
Oh, hey, it's Kanata.
Kanata! Over here!
Hi, Nozomi.
Let me introduce you. This is my mechanic, Yamatani-kun.
Hello there.
It's a pleasure.
This is my mechanic, Ogata-san.
He's also the 86's owner.
Hey there.
The 86 is starting to look good out there.
The aero tweaks are paying dividends, but just its whole aura is different now.
Call it my mechanic instincts.
Well, you see, we've got this really talented advisor.
It's embarrassing to admit, but I've let him make most of the calls.
Oh, by the way, we came for a test run yesterday and saw the 4 car.
Sawatari Koki's upgraded his ride, too.
There are reports Michael Beckenbauer has a new car, too.
Everyone's already at it.
Double Lane might as well have started. Sparks are already flying.
What about your car?
Fiddled with the software. Gave it a power boost, too.
I know my bro's tweaked the suspension of his Lotus.
You don't want it too rigid for Double Lane.
Not with that road feature.
My bro's all worked up. He was in the car a lot yesterday.
He kinda sucks, so it takes him a while to master tracks.
Unlike me, he's got no natural sense for it.
That kind of talk is why you two are always fighting.
For someone like me who prefers a responsive car,
it's gonna take a while to get used to this kind of long stroke.
But I think I'm finally getting the hang of it.
Who's this?
I've never seen that car before.
Since you're another English-made car, I'll show you some respect, Lotus.
So I'll make it look good as I blow past you.
An Aston Martin, huh?
Damn. Talk about powerful.
That driver's really good.
From that honed technique,
it seems like MFG's getting another new face with talent.
It's September, but the sun's showing no sign of letting up.
Out goes summer, in comes the high-speed brawl that is Seaside Double Lane.
You've waited for this, and we're glad to bring it to you.
And I really do mean that.
I'm Tanaka Yoji on comms.
A lap around here is 21.7 km,
and the race will consist of six laps.
Heading north with Sagami Bay
on the right before doubling back,
this course may seem relatively simple,
but high average speeds will punish
even a moment's carelessness.
It's the first day of qualifying,
and we have one of this year's top three on track already.
This driver has lots of fans,
and since his mid-season return, he's shown incredible natural driving instincts.
In that dazzling French blue, it's the 4 car, driven by Sawatari Koki.
And he rockets away!
Sawatari Koki's up already, huh?
No matter how you slice it, he's one of the favorites to win.
This timed lap was always gonna attract attention.
And the time the 4 car sets will be the benchmark for the remaining seven days.
I'm looking forward to this, A110S.
And Sawatari Koki is underway.
He already has an attention flag on him through this high-speed first sector.
Since it's the first day, we have no real point of comparison.
But he's already setting better sector times than Akaba Kaito's course record...
...from last season!
And he clears the Jumping Spot!
His pace remains high,
and he's on course to beat the lap record by nearly two whole seconds!
I must leave no room for excuses and push myself as hard as I can.
That's my plan this time around.
Michael Beckenbauer. Kanata Rivington.
You'd better watch your backs.
And through the complicated residential area of Sector 3,
he still has the attention flag.
He's pushing right to the limit here!
And as he crosses the finish line,
he smashes Akaba Kaito's previous course record by a good three seconds.
If a driver's time from the first day ends up being good enough for pole,
that'll be a first in the history of MFG!
Sawatari Koki has put in a truly godly performance today!
MF Ghost.
"Traits of an only child: We don't mind being on our own."
"No. 2: We try to solve problems on our own without any help."
What's all that?
Only Child Stuff!
Ta-da! It's a list of only child stuff.
We also admire sibling relationships, even idealizing them.
We do a lot of extracurriculars, and talk to ourselves a lot.
Oh, man. That might as well be talking about me.
When something's bothering us, it shows on our faces.
We're self-centered, do things our way, and stick to our own internalized rules.
That's so true.
Girls treat parents like friends.
Guys have mother complexes.
The accuracy is freaking me out.
Listen up. This is the important part.
"Romantic traits of an only child."
They're more passive and wait for the other person to make a move.
They're also possessive and jealous.
They have very high standards.
Broadly speaking, they're inexperienced,
and bad at expressing their feelings. The end.
What do you think? Amazing, huh? It's like it has your name on it.
When it says they're inexperienced,
do you think that applies to Kanata?
Why wouldn't it? These are the universal traits of the only child.
Focus. If I don't pull out all the stops for Double Lane, when will I?
Aiba-senpai. It's Kanata.
Hey.
There's something I need to talk to you about.
It's regarding Number Seven.
About that... I need to ask you a question first, Kanata.
Do you have a thing for Number Seven?
Yes.
I'm sorry, Aiba-senpai.
Okay. Well said.
In that case, starting now, we're romantic rivals.
That makes me sad.
But I wanna make one thing clear, Kanata.
You're still my adorable junior.
And whatever happens going forward, we're gonna keep being friends.
I'm getting that straight right now.
Aiba-senpai.
Come on, man. Don't cry.
Right.
Good luck in qualifying today, Senpai.
Thanks.
Same to you. Don't let Sawatari Koki outdo you.
Her name's "Ren," like the "love" in "lost love," and she's my angel.
That was poetic. Aside from the structure.
Never figured she'd be a high schooler.
Man, Sawatari's prediction was spot-on.
I'm positive she's way younger than you think she is.
She's either 17 or 18. Somewhere around there.
He is one observant pervert.
Marie, did you put on even more weight?
What happened to dieting over the summer?
Please don't! You're making my ears burn!
I'm seriously just that weak!
The only strong parts of me are my appetite and my libido!
What the hell happened to you, Marie?
Kyoko, huh?
Wipe that dopey look off your face and look sharp, Aiba Shun.
You don't need to remind me.
The 9 car arrives at the gate.
Anticipation is high, since Aiba Shun has a real knack for Double Lane.
And he's off!
His white GT-R Nismo shoots forward like a statement of intent!
The Kamikaze Hoodlum begins his assault on Seaside Double Lane!
I love this course, man.
And since no part of it makes me nervous, I can go all out.
Two Years Ago
Here's a gift for you. Eat it when you get some free time.
These cream puffs are apparently a big deal in Odwara.
Cream puffs! Yay!
They look good!
Can we open them now, Kyoko-san?
Did you girls forget something? You oughta thank him first.
Oh, you're right. Thank you.
We appreciate it.
Sheesh. Kids these days, I swear.
Sorry about that, Aiba.
Nah, it's no big deal.
So which of the girls are you after? We have plenty of cute newbies this year.
It's not like that.
I consider the Angels an important part of the team.
MFG is in its second year and you're a vital part of making it a big deal.
You've got a pretty manly personality, don't you? Good luck in qualifying.
You seem like a pretty fine woman yourself, Kyoko.
No honorifics despite being younger than me.
But I like the sound of my name in his mouth. It honestly makes me happy.
He brings a gift for the Angels whenever he's racing.
And he's the only driver who does that.
Maybe I wouldn't mind if you started hitting on me.
Just from the footage, you can see he's up for this.
He's on for the second-best time, behind Sawatari Koki.
Even if they get rejected or look lame,
I think when a person loves another, that's something to cherish.
And even after all that's happened, I'm still targeting the same thing.
To reach the podium and get a kiss from Number Seven.
The GT-R Nismo continues its charge.
Its refined, functional beauty distinctly contrasts with European luxury coupés,
but is it my Japanese pride talking when I find it just as aesthetically pleasing?
Made in Japan but renowned worldwide,
it's the perfect mix of technology and craftsmanship: the Nissan GT-R!
And now, our feed switches to Kitahara Nozomi in the 18 car.
Looking good, Nozomi. Keep it up. Keep attacking!
You got it. After you screwed up your qualifying run yesterday...
...I gotta work hard, or we won't be taking back much prize money.
So I'll make sure to pick up the slack.
You just love running your mouth, don't you? Well, don't get cocky!
Just put Yamatani-kun back on comms already!
Listening to a worse driver is a drag!
What did you just say? I hope you plunge headfirst into Sagami Bay!
Day two of qualifying,
and Aiba in the 9 ends up only five-tenths short of the previous lap record,
provisionally putting him in second.
Kitahara Nozomi in the 18 puts in a fine showing to slot into third.
I always believed Sawatari was a talented driver,
but he's even better than I thought.
He's earned his spot in this so-called "Top Three,"
and when he's on his A-game, he's as sharp as a razor.
But the thing with sharpness is it can also be brittle.
And that applies to Sawatari, too.
Sawatari's time is so insane, I can't even imagine trying to match it.
But I can't help thinking about what Aiba Shun pulled off yesterday.
I don't wanna outdone by that guy.
I thought Double Lane was supposed to be a high-speed course.
How the hell did he post a time like that in a wimpy Alpine?
Well, with this car's potential, I should be able to match it.
If Sawatari can do it, so can I.
I won't even entertain the idea that he's that much better than me.
Sawatari Koki's time is absurd.
Beating the previous lap record by a full three seconds...
What a thing to do on the first day of qualifying.
I feel like MFG is heading for a major period of change.
And if I don't adapt, I'll get left behind, so I have to.
I have experience on my side. And my pride.
On the third and fourth days, some top drivers tackled the course,
but maybe it was a case of trying too hard, since none of them made many gains.
Perhaps Sawatari Koki's super record on day one piled too much pressure on?
But I think if there's gonna be a change, it'll likely happen tomorrow.
Day five sees the attention flag collector: the miraculous Katagiri Kanata.
And on day six, we'll see last year's polesitter, Akaba Kaito.
And rounding out proceedings on the final day
is the absolute king who needs no introduction: Michael Beckenbauer.
Can he complete a three-race streak of setting new course records?
You'll definitely wanna tune in for all that, ladies and gents.
This is MFG history in the making.
Let's meet up again tomorrow.
See you again from Odawara, Japan.
This has been Tanaka Yoji.
Say what? This is the first I'm hearing of it.
The guy who did analysis for July's race knows Kanata-san's teacher, apparently.
He made it sound like Kanata-san would be going back to England after this year.
Didn't you know? Don't you guys get to listen to the commentary feed?
Well, of course we do. We have huge speakers blaring it out.
I guess there must have been a bunch of cars going past when he said that.
Racecars can be really loud, and can even drown out the commentary.
This is bad. I've never felt panic like this before.
Kanata came to Japan to find his father.
But that's more or less resolved now,
meaning he doesn't have a reason to stick around.
Will he be leaving Japan altogether after the next two races?
That can't happen.
Next time, Turn 33: The Red Bullet.