Ginban Kaleidoscope

As a show about figure skating, the typical rule of sports anime applies to Ginban Kaleidoscope: if you like the sport, add +10 to your interest level in the anime. However, unlike a lot of sports-based anime, the details of the sport aren't that terribly important- we couldn't tell if the animators were really making a triple lutz look different from a triple flip, and it didn't seem to matter. What does matter is that it's one of the most romantic anime around.

Our vantage point is frosty Japanese figure skater Tazusa, an unusually unsympathetic protagonist (although the show makes it work.) Tazusa is arrogant, aware that she's both beautiful and skilled, and is pretty much hated by the media in Japan for her attitude despite her obvious talent. She is soon possessed by a Canadian ghost named Pete Pumps: we'll let that sink in for a moment.

Early on, when Tazusa is running around like a chicken with her head cut off, screaming "Why am I possessed by a Canadian ghost?" and "I hate you, Pete Pumps!", the show actually approaches so-bad-its-good territory; it really does look and sound pretty darn ridiculous. However, if you can put up with the rough and silly beginning, there's a great emotional payoff in Ginban Kaleidoscope; despite the fantastical nature of Tazusa and Pete's relationship, it actually develops in a much more interesting, and dare we even say realistic, manner than most anime couples. Not only does our ice princess (yes, it's the most obvious pun ever) thaw noticeably without ever crossing into to-good-to-be-true territory, as many reformed characters do, but the way the two end up sharing Tazusa's sensations- one meager life, split between two people- is surprisingly nuanced and poignant. It's also the rare show with a definitive beginning, middle and end.

There is a fair amount of humor, but it's more successful as a romance than as a comedy- the jokes are rarely laugh-out-loud funny, and some of the humor may not even be strictly intentional. Nevertheless, the show has its moments- one comment of Tazusa's to a snotty rival is pure comedy gold.
The character design, animation and production values in general are average- Tazusa could be any number of raven-haired anime girls, and no one else really stands out. There's even a Rei Ayanami clone among the figure skaters for no apparent reason. However, the writers really commit to the story, and for that reason, it's in a better class of entertainment than a lot of anime that are far more pleasing to look at.

It's also somewhat unique among sports anime in that winning and losing is comparatively unimportant; while you do find yourself rooting for Tazusa as she sheds her arrogant shell and starts to share her life with Pete, how she places in competitions starts to feel unimportant. That's part of what makes Ginban Kaleidoscope so satisfying; instead of striving for that first-place victory- which usually feels inevitable in sports anime, and therefore somewhat hollow- it's about a different type of victory. Yet, it's never patronizing, and maintains that winning is important, especially for a professional athlete; it's just that, much like Tazusa and Pete, our thoughts are primarily elsewhere.

For those who are fans of both figure skating and anime, Ginban Kaleidoscope is a no-brainer recommendation; after all, it's not like there's a tremendous amount of entertainment featuring this sport to choose from, anime or otherwise- and the less said about Skating with the Stars, the better. However, for viewers who enjoy something romantic- not melodramatic, drawn out and soap opera-like, not hot and sexy, but that all too rare thing, something genuinely, unabashedly romantic- this anime is a hidden gem.