July is disability pride month. To celebrate, here’s a review of Blade Girl, Vol. 2. Blade Girl is the story of sixteen-year-old Rin, who dreams of being a runner when given a state-of-the-art prosthetic after having an above-the-knee amputation due to Osteosarcoma Since it’s been quite a while since my review of Vol. 1, feel free to read that review here as a refresher.
Chapter 6
At the end of volume one, our protagonist, Rin, was poised to win the race, determining if Kazami-san would continue to get funding for the “Blade” prosthetic. The chapter opens with Rin’s old physical therapist wondering what the girl who was afraid to take her first step without a cane is up to now. Dear doctor, our girl is re-discovering the joy of running.
Rin is enjoying the race when she suddenly falls, with only thirty meters left. She falls, but she does not fail. Her goal was to run in a 100-meter race, and she did. Rin feels like she let everyone down, but her parents, Kazami-san, and all her blade-using friends are very proud of her.
Kazami-san mentions how he noticed that Rin closed her eyes while running. She explains that she was trying to picture her movements while running the way she used to run when she had the use of both legs. Rin says it wasn’t easy to do. Kazami-san points out that her running improved, and what she did was pretty complex and perceptive. Kazami-san tells Rin to never stop running and that they’ll meet again someday. Rin believes it to be Kazami-san’s parting advice, and it is. The next day, he travels abroad, presumably to seek funding for his unique prosthetics.
Everyone expects Rin to see Kazami-san off, but there’s something she must do. Try out for her school’s track and field team! Kazami-san told Rin there was much she could learn from runners with no physical impairments. So Rin is determined to try out for the team. The coach tells Rin she can give it her best shot, but she will be judged to the same standards as everyone else.
Chapter 7
Finishing at about eighteen seconds, Rin gets her best time yet. She feels slightly discouraged when other runners average fourteen seconds or less. The captain says Rin can join, but a pretentious track and field member says Rin can never win at her current time. Saying she would only slow the team down in a relay match. The reaction from the track and field team, followed by their “we don’t know anything about prosthetic legs” attitude, leaves Rin feeling pretty low. She finds herself at the support center, where she first received physical therapy after becoming an amputee.
A staff member at the clinic recognizes Rin and asks her what inspired her to join the school’s track and field team when she has the option to join the Blade Runners? Rin explains that she wants to take Kazami-san’s advice and learn from runners who aren’t differently abled. For the next few days, we see Rin try to imitate how Kei, the girl who said Rin would slow everyone down during a relay, runs to no avail.
Meanwhile, on the track and field team, Kei discovers that the coaches don’t want her to be in the next relay. Saying Kei focuses too much on herself and that the relay is a team event. Kei is none too pleased about this decision. Rin tries to stick up for Kei, saying she’s an excellent runner, but Rin is reminded to focus on her second chance to try out for the team and not worry about other people.
The track coaches make Rin and Kei an offer. In two weeks, they will hold an internal relay; if Rin wins with Kei as her partner, she can join the track and field team, and Kei can run in the competitive relay. Rin is excited about the opportunity, while Kei acts like a bit of a wet blanket. Rin practices without guidance for about a week and tries to master the exercises and mimic the other athletes. When Rin feels at her wit’s end, Kei points out that Rin can’t mimic another person’s form and expect the same results. Kei also points out that Rin should focus on her upper body movements too, not just her feet. Kei is taken aback when Rin hugs and thanks her for the advice.
She tells Rin she will help her train because she is “painful to watch.” Rin is happy to have the chance to practice with Kei. She is surprised when Kei tells her not to come to practice with her “blade.”
Chapter 8
Rin tells Shira-san (who takes care of her prosthetic tune-ups) about her 5 am practice with Kei. Kei had Rin wear her everyday prosthetic instead of her blade because of the strenuous exercises she had Rin perform. Rin practices with Kei are grueling. Kei tells Rin that she has to learn to rely on her prosthetic just as she would her left leg.
Eventually, Rin feels Kei is being too harsh and expects too much from Rin and the capabilities of her prosthetic. Rin blows up at Kei, saying what do you know when you still use both legs to run? Kei asks Rin, do you not intend to make the prosthetic limb your own? When Rin says she no longer wants to practice, Kei doesn’t push back.
Rin meets up with her friends, the Blade Runners, to let off some steam. They all notice that she’s gotten faster and her form is better. They all congratulate her regarding the track team. When Rin and her friends take a break, they see some veteran Blade Runners. Rin is taken aback by the form and finesse of one of the runners. While observing this veteran runner, Rin realizes that what Kei said about equal balance is possible even for someone utilizing a prosthetic.
Rin learns from one of the staff members within the blade runners that Kei had stopped by to observe them to learn more about prosthetics and how they behave. Both surprised and moved by Kei’s efforts, Rin rushes to apologize to Kei. Rin decides she is done making excuses and will work hard to learn to make her prosthetic her own.
Chapter 9
This chapter begins with Kei stating that she and Rin will try a different strategy. Rin agrees, although it has not been revealed what that strategy is. The day of the relay arrives, and it is determined that Rin will be the anchor. As the anchor, the end of the race is all up to Rin
During Kei’s leg of the race, two crucial things happen: Kei drops the baton and sprains her ankle. That doesn’t stop her, as Kei is determined to pass the baton to Rin.
Once Kei passes the baton to Rin, she starts gunning it for dear life.
As Rin is running, the strategic revelation she and Kei had is revealed. Kei realized that Rin’s right leg with her prosthetic is shorter than her left leg. As such, the two girls determine that force should not be distributed equally between both legs. It should be a 70/30 split with more force on Rin’s prosthetic. Rin is neck and neck with the opposing runner, and some onlookers are doubting her, but she keeps going.
Rin wins it all by one stride. Her time is 16 seconds. Beating her previous time by two seconds. The coaches are surprised and moved by Kei’s reaction as she goes to hug Rin and congratulate her.
Rin and Kei thank each other for their efforts. Kei admits that she had never wanted to pass the baton as much as she wanted to pass it to Rin. The girls are basically life-long besties now. The chapter ends with the unexpected return of Kazami-san. Kazami-san says that he is back to form a new blade development team.
Chapter 10
Rin and Kei are out shopping for running shoes when Rin gets the call telling her that Kqzami-san has returned. Rin is overwhelmed with happiness to see Kazami-san again.
It’s been six months since Kazami-san first left for the U.S., and he returned with a new blade design. Everyone is fascinated and hesitant about the new design, so Kazami-san asks Rin to give the new blade a test run.
Rin notes that the weight of the new blade is about the same as the old design. Rin begins to run at such a speed, and with such grace, it leaves Kazami-san speechless.
As she runs, Rin notes that the new blade is lighter and springier than she imagined. It reacts quickly when touching the ground as if propelling her forward. Kazami-san explains to his colleague that the difference in how Rin runs with the new blade is due to its new arched foot design.
At the same time that Rin realizes that the new blade is much easier to swing forward, Kazami-san explains to his colleague that the new blade has a different center of gravity. As such, the blade is easier to swing.
Kazami-san also explains that he created this new blade with smaller framed runners like Rin in mind. Suddenly, a random corporate stooge appears, saying that the merit of Kazami-san’s new design is obvious, but the development team has no time for his dreams. Saying Kazami should focus on the development of other assistive technologies.
Much to the surprise of the corporate stooge, Kazami-san promptly quits. Kazami-san says he has to make his dream a reality, even if that means not having the company’s backing. Rin gives the stooge a piece of her mind, but it doesn’t get Kazami-san his funding back.
Kazami-san decided that, with the help of Rin, the prosthetics expert Shira-san, and Mizuhara-san (the therapist/staff member who always encourages Rin), they would start a new research team. Everyone is inspiring each other to reach their dreams.
Overall impressions 11/10. I really loved this volume because we get both character development and vulnerability from Rin. She’s working hard towards her dreams of being the best runner she can be and her best self. I found the blow-up and misunderstanding between Rin and Kei realistic, including the “What would you know?” moment. Rin is learning that nothing and no one defines your capabilities but you. I think that is something precious and important that we can all relate to—especially those of us who are differently-abled.
