Main Round 1: Team Imaizumi Shunsuke/Naruko Shoukichi

[dynamite]

TITLE: “Hey baby, I can keep increasing the resistance on my bike, but I just can’t resist you”

SERIES: Yowamushi Pedal

SHIP: Imaizumi Shunsuke/Naruko Shoukichi

RATING: G

CHARACTERS: Imaizumi Shunsuke, Naruko Shoukichi, Onoda Sakamichi, Kanzaki Miki

SIDE PAIRINGS: none

MAJOR TAGS: none

ADDITIONAL TAGS: kissing; the actual worst kiss in the world; the actual second worst kiss in the world, too; Imaizumi's noodle arms

 

SUMMARY:

Will Naruko succeed in bringing Imaizumi back to the village, or will their different ways of thinking keep them apart? Tune in this week to find out.

 

(Spoilers: there is no village.)
 

 

WORK COUNT: comic, 8 pages

SCRIPT: link here

NOTES: please read from left to right, and enjoy! <3

 

 

 

 

Comments

[tempestuously]

This art is seriously gorgeous and tooth-rottingly cute! Their expression in the final picture slay me.

[dynamite]

A lot of love was put into this, and we're so happy you liked it... thank you so much!! (Them being dumb teen boy goofs is truly best.)

[hunks]

THIS COMIC IS SO NICE..... THE ART IS AMAZING AND THE CONCEPT IS SO FUN. i really loved their text conversation in the beginning too, kudos to whoever wrote that!!!!

[dynamite]

THANK YOU SO MUCH TOMA!!!

[psiten]

This is so cute! I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw the Naruto kiss advert, but this was just so precious and sweet and adorable! Good job guys <3

[dynamite]

One of our many running jokes is that we're just team sasunaru, and so here we are. To the hilt. But thank you so much, we're super happy you liked it!! <3

[putsch]

IM LAUGHING SO MUCH I STILL CNA'T BELIEVE YOU WENT FOR THE NARUTO KISS, AND THEN IM LIKE, OF COURSE THEY DID THATS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THEM

not to mention #1 imanaru shipper onoda, holy crap, what a good wholesome fill of gay

[dynamite]

IT'S EXACTLY AS IT SAYS ON THE TIN

onoda also knows what it says on the tin, he probably secretly writes the fic

(thank you for reading kat!! <3)

[spicybun]

i don't even bike and i found this incredibly cute wtf

[dynamite]

THIS IS SO NICE TO HEAR THOUGH THANK YOU!!

because it means we somehow reached across the sportsball aisle... in friendship and just, like, in ship, and... it worked.... <3

[hapaxlegomenon]

This is one of my favourite entries so far, well done. I love it.

Team ImaNaru always delivers.

[dynamite]

<3 PAX YOU'RE TOO GOOD TO US, thank you so much... this means a lot to us (to me), thank you again, Captain K2 (T2)

[kazuyaloveseijun]

omg I haven't watched this anime yet but this was really cute and funny <3<3!!

[dynamite]

thank you so much for giving us a read regardless, we're happy you enjoyed!! <3

[alder_knight]

I'VE NEVER EVEN SEEN THE SHOW AND I SHIP IT WTF

This is fantastic and the duality is showcased well. Really nice work!

[dynamite]

SPARKLES IN DELIGHT, THANK YOU!!! It probably goes without saying that I... highly rec pedal animanga. It's fun and good and the characters are very engaging and the protag is an absolute "hime hime" singing otaku delight haha

[onceakoala]

i haven't even seen bikes yet and this entry was sO ENJOYABLE, easily one of my favorites so far, it's so well done!! i love the complimentary colors, the mirroring of the actions, the back-and-forth texting and dialogue, how in sync they are, and the way the images and scenes reflect and mirror each other and the rhythm of it flows so nicely -- this comic is just fantastically put together.

[dynamite]

Ahh, thank you so much!! We're so happy that, even if you haven't seen the show, you picked up on the things we wanted to say about the contrast between them but, ultimately, how seamless they are when they're together ;v; Again, a huge sparkleheart thanks from the team and the team artists who worked so hard on this!! <3

[karahashi]

THIS IS SUCH A SOLID ENTRY OH MY GOODNESS I AM SO IMPRESSED RIGHT NOW (I have been So Impressed for like a week tbh)

I am AMAZED at how well you guys have synthesised the different art styles, and the COLOURS I LOVE YOUR COLOUR SCHEME! THE BLUE VS RED AND THE PRETTY PRETTY BACKDROPS I just adore the layout of this and how beautiful it is *o*

The lineart in i. sunrise is so smooth and pretty sdhjf;ajsfklfs I ADORE!! Naruko's expression in his first panel and the stylised faces of his little brothers...and also Imaizumi with his smirk over breakfast - the animal motifs and the banter sdjfha;sfk NARUKO'S MUSCLE MINION EMOJI AHH AND AGAIN ON THE MICROWAVE IN THE BACKGROUND -- HIS BROTHERS ALL 'FOOOOOD' AND 'ZZZ' AND ILY BRO and how they text so naturally I LOVE THIS SO MUCH AND THE GRADIENTS - THE GRADIENTS IN THE COLOURS --

And the structure of ii. morning practice is so beautifully symmetrical - THIS IS DUALITY RIGHT HERE. AGAIN WITH NARUKO'S EXPRESSIONS and the more intense workout animal motifs I especially love that first frame with them walking out alongside one another...and then when they turn to ride and you can see the other person in the background IT IS SO GOOD

The lunchtime rush stories were hilarious! I love all the little details, the colours, THE SPECTATORS (Onoda and his flowery sparkles I LOVE HIM) -- Imaizumi when they kiss HIS EYES AND HIS HAIR AND THE SHOCK -- THEIR POSITIONING ---

And then early afternoon hnnnhfhajklfjlhsk the comparison of their postures and how they're faced away from one another ;_; THE WAY THE PANELS FRAME THE RECOLLECTION OF THE KISS AMAZING STORYBOARDING
(and Naruko's fanboys ahhhhhh the NARUKO shirt and the tiger AND THEIR FACES I AM SO --)

AFTERNOON PRACTICE the art is fabulous but the dialogue in your team's entry is amazing as well AHH the bubble around INDIRECT KISS, MIKI AND ONODA THEIR FACES and that last 'I MUST GO / I'M GONNA RIDE SOME MORE' sajfhlajksh this is hilarious and adorable and SO SOGOOD

The panelling in late afternoon makes me melt hjklsfjalwhrjk THE ANGLES ARE SO INCREDIBLE and the close-ups against the road sdjfalhfk, how they end up meeting one another in the end...

...AND THEN SUNSET!! THAT BEAUTIFUL CENTRAL KISS TO THE CHEEK. THE PHONE AND THE EMOJI WITH THE PHONE THAT ANGLE ON THE PHONE hnnnngnhgjkljhklhsd I just love how this round's theme is interwoven all over your entry, with their contrasting personalities, the two kisses, the movement through the day, the texts vs in-person interactions...This entry has such a good, flowing progression and the panels are arranged so beautifully, and EVEN THE BACKDROPS ARE CONSISTENTLY GORGEOUS I CANNOT BELIEVE --

This entry is so quality. So, so quality. It's so clearly a standout entry - it smashes right through every single judging criteria a person could think of. All the best with the voting!

[peterpandemic]

Oh my god thank-you so much? I'm a little overwhelmed at how wonderful and detailed this comment is and how much thought you gave our entry as you were reading it! You picked up on a lot of the themes we were hoping to convey and I couldn't be happier. :D You're such a sweetheart ahhhhh I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[princesssid]

oh i love this so much i came back to reread it! the art is beautiful, the story is cute, it's such a perfect little compact comic with great pacing. I WANNA ROLL AROUND IN IT!!!

i can't wait to see what this team will bring to MR2 :D

[peterpandemic]

Thank-you so much, I'm super happy you liked it (especially enough to reread hehe)! :) It was made with a lot of love!

[clefairy]

THAT WAS...SO CUte....im crying...i think i got cavities why do you guys want to hurt me.....

[peterpandemic]

Here at Team Imanaru we believe that suffering makes a person stronger.

(Thank-you for commenting, I hope you enjoyed it!!!)

[bingualien]

SCREAMING!!!!!!!! THIS WAS SO ADORABLE OHMYGOD THE LACK OF DIALOGUE DIDN'T EVEN MATTER THE EXPRESSIONS SHOWED IT ALL. THEY WERE PERFECT.

Seriously I love this a lot!! The lines are so clean and crisp. How??? The colors. JFC THE COLORS OF THEIR PANELS. I love how they're different when they're in their own panel but when they're together the colors aren't tinted in blue or yellow/red its just what is like all is right when they're together. I don't if I'm explaining it coherently but I just really love this. Fantastic job! ^o^

[peterpandemic]

Aaahhhhh I'm so glad that it holds up well even without a lack of dialogue-- the focus is definitely sensory in this entry so I'm glad the colour choices stood out to you! Thank-you so much for the very sweet comment! <3

[miyukitty]

<333333 this is so cuuuuute and funny and IC and of course that's how it would go, SORRY BOYS, ahhhh I especially love Onoda and Miki's reactions :)))) love it!! best of luck, pedals!!

[peterpandemic]

These boys are way too embarrassing for it to go any other way, unfortunately. ^^

Thank-you! :D Best of luck to you as well!

[snowysatoru]

I DON'T EVEN GO HERE BUT THIS WAS ONE OF THE CUTEST THINGS EVER!!!!

[dynamite]

thank you so much... we're so happy you liked it!!

(IF YOU DON'T PEDAL I HIGHLY REC IT, PEDAL IS SUCH A GOOD)

[arranjar]

Onoda in this comic is Too Relatable honestly. In all seriousness though this entry was so good what the heck! You captured the sense of duality perfectly in the art-- I really liked the symmetry and red/blue theme in some of the pages, and the duality of having some of the more potent scenes told without dialogue (that was really effective!). There were really sweet, sort of understated moments (like morning practice and the last two pages) but also some really funny ones (all the ones featuring the other cast members-- I kinda died at "I MUST GO"). You can tell a lot of care was put into this entry and it's got a lot of heart so kudos to everyone involved!

[yusukesjeans]

*SQUEAKS* This is so cute, I love the use of their parallel days & perspectives for "duality."
The art is adorable, and I love how much gets conveyed without using words.

[mousapelli]

I am not in this fandom at all, but this comic is REALLY cute and well done. Excellent job.