Super Cub is not, in any way, not even remotely, Yuri. It is, however, a compelling, if often enraging, anime about many things, including friendship, dreams and, quite possibly PTSD.

We begin the story in a kind of emotional abyss. Koguma has no friends, no family, no money, no anything. She lives in a stark little one-room apartment, eating cheap retort food. Her life is painfully bereft of life. Why? If we watch the anime, we will never know. The originating novels do explain, and as suspected, her situation is rooted in loss.

Even without knowing specifics, can anyone think of a positive reason why a young woman would live alone, with just enough money to survive but no more, with no one to care for or about her?  It seemed instantly obvious to me, that whatever brought Koguma here, it was not a happy circumstance. From the earliest moments of the story, I could not help but see Koguma as person whose life was a result of trauma. Her lack of affect, her difficulty relating to the people around her…it all felt as if we were entering the anime with a wall blocking us from seeing the why, so we must focus on the what…I had a lot of trouble coping with the early episodes as a result of this.

In fact, this is a major complaint I have in anime (and other pop culture from Japan, like idol culture,) right now. The performative aspect of emotional trauma. I literally sobbed my way through the first episode, I was so horrified at how empty Koguma’s life was…and knowing that we were working out of that did nothing to lessen my anger that it was being used for entertainment. 

I am so done with the emotional torment of children for plot purposes in anime. It’s low-hanging fruit for emotional engagement, but holy shit I hate it a lot. Every anime punches down like that it seems and I don’t want to have to watch it all the fucking time.

That said… the story is not about how she got here, it is about how she gets out – and that made for a still-often-difficult- but-frequently-triumphant story that I could not stop watching.

At the heart of this tale is  the power of a peer group, of fandom and of friendship – all of which make this something that the Okazu audience might find worth watching. Through the course of the story, Koguma discovers love in the form of a little used scooter…her Super Cub, And we are introduced to a global fandom we might not have ever heard of! Apparently the Honda Super Cub fandom is worldwide. If I thought I could ride a scooter, I might have been tempted, as the 2021 model is, honestly, quite darling.  ^_^

Koguma’s first peer in this new fandom is the mechanic who makes it possible for her to get her Cub in the first place, and then slowly gives her gear, advice and maintenance, so she grows more confident. With every new challenge, Koguma begins to find her humanity.  When a classmate turns out to also be a Super Cub enthusiast, Koguma makes her first friend. 

Reiko is the perfect foil for Koguma. In the anime, we again are given no details of Reiko’s circumstances (which are, again, somewhat predictable based on her lifestyle and, again, detailed in the novels.) In stark contrast to Koguma, Reiko is ebullient and clearly wholly comfortable with her life. Reiko is perfect for Koguma precisely because she doesn’t need Koguma or her approval or companionship. Reiko’s comfortable with herself and has her own goals. Because Reiko doesn’t rely on her for anything, Koguma is free, at last, to begin to move past her stunted emotional growth and become a person of her own. It is this Koguma who is at last able to make a friend in Reiko.

So Koguma now has a fandom with peers, and a friend. Slowly, her Cub allows her the mobility and freedom to become more interested in things and places. But her life is still insulated. We enter into a section of the anime in which Koguma is allowing her interest in her Cub and her friendship with Reiko to expand her horizons..but only as far as Cub-related things can stretch.

My absolute favorite part of the anime is the episodes in which Koguma and Reiko take on summer jobs. This section contains some breathtaking animation art and character development unlike anything I have seen in anime. In a conventional anime this would be when we get the details of Koguma’s tragic backstory. Instead, this anime looks always forward. Additionally, Reiko’s summer is not positioned as a foil for Koguma’s at all. Instead she gets her own time to try and fail to achieve her goal. Reiko’s desire is to ascend, while Koguma’s is more human in scale, and with her new job, she finally starts to become more comfortable with people and the comforting banality of social ritual. (This lesson took me a good 40 years to learn, so good on Koguma!) It also teaches Koguma that to be relied on, and to ask for help, are both acceptable.

We come to a crisis in the anime at this point, and I cannot have been the only one who was on tenterhooks as Shii inserted herself into Koguma and Reiko’s cabal of two. In real-world relationships, a third person can be a real problem. Shii is, however, endlessly sincere and helpful and when the crisis arrives we are not angry at Shii at all. All the adults in the room might have been screaming “Call 119!!!!” but out of concern and frustration. Everyone I know watching this felt this way and we all remind ourselves that 1) they are teens, 2) on their own, without adults modeling responsibility and 3) it’s a fucking fiction, Erica, get over it. ^_^;

Setting the frustration at that aside, Shii’s crisis forces Koguma to do something she has never before had to to – to take care of someone who is not herself. In this, she finds a protectiveness and strength she had no idea she had in her.

Suddenly, the Super Cub bubble has been broken…and it’s okay.

The final arc of the anime was brilliant in every way possible. It ends in the only possible way I would have found acceptable. All of the themes here come together. Koguma’s insular bubble made possible by her Super Cub snaps open and she is able to expand it, to include new experiences, new responsibilities and new people. In the end, Koguma herself explains this to us. Her Super Cub gave her opportunities…but it was up to her to take them. Now it will be up to her to make new opportunities for herself and for others. And wow, if that isn’t a lesson for fandom, I don’t know what is. ^_^

Fandom gives us opportunities to enjoy new things, meet new people, have new experiences – but it is also up to us to make new opportunities for ourselves and for others to enjoy! 

For an excellent exploration of emotional intimacy among young women – with a focus on interiority, and emotional growth – Super Cub was a fantastic anime. If you haven’t watched it, I hope you will. Super Cub is streaming on Funimation.

Ratings:

Art – 9
Story – 10
Characters – 10
Service – 4 Yeah, but it’s kind of handled goofily
Emotional Intimacy Between Girls Without Romance – 10

Overall – 9

One point off for performative trauma.

I truly enjoyed Super Cub and it is certainly in line for one of the best anime I watched so far this year, along with Zombieland Saga Revenge and Odd Taxi. It’s been a good year for anime with three such completely different, really excellent stories about being human from outsider perspectives.