When we last left off, Kosame tried to save the Native American boy, but some of past trauma made him freeze in his tracks. As a result, Dylan had to stepped in and save the day.

— Naturally, Appare shows little concern for Kosame. In his mind, his partner is currently safe, so why waste his breath on asking the guy if he’s okay? Instead, the inventor tells Dylan that he’ll totally win the Trans-America race. To Dylan, this must be like hearing a random hobo challenge Michael Jordan to a game of pickup basketball.

— So the Native American boy’s name is Hototo, and some dude with a conspicuous tattoo killed his father. As a result, the kid’s on a quest for revenge. I’m not sure what this has to do with racing, but I’m sure the story will draw the connections later. Maybe his father’s killer is gonna be one of the racers.

— The next morning, the gang finds out that they’re about to lose their warehouse, because some rich dude named Al wants it. Al’s from Europe, which means he and his partner have to drink tea and look posh at all times. ‘Cause, y’know, Europeans have so much more class compared to the rest of savages.

— What’s Al’s story? Well, he wants to take over the currently fledgling automobile division at his family’s company. You might have heard of said company: BNW. No, no, not BMW. It’s BNW! Get it right! Honestly, I don’t know a damn thing about cars. Does BMW make race cars? I guess they do. Look, all I know about motorsports is what I saw in Ford v Ferrari. It has never been a thing that interested me. My friends are all into automobiles, but I couldn’t care less. And since I live in San Francisco, I don’t even bother to own a car just because I don’t want to pay for the upkeep and insurance.

— Al is accompanied by Sofia. At first, I also thought that she was his sister, but they are not related. Sofia’s mother was Al’s babysitter, so she’s a childhood friend and thus potential lover? She claims she’s here to make sure Al doesn’t do anything reckless, but look, a lady doesn’t just accompany you to another continent if it’s platonic.

— In any case, Al is here to participate in the Trans-America contest, because somehow winning a race justifies taking over a division within a company. Appare sees an opportunity to test himself against a future rival, so he issues a challenge. He and Al will race each other, and if he wins, he gets to keep the warehouse along with Al’s car. If he loses, however, Al gets Kosame’s swords. I don’t think a pair of katanas is worth a car, but whatever. Al’s rich, so he can probably afford to lose several cars. Hell, he probably thinks bananas cost ten bucks each.

— Since Kosame’s a swordsman, I guess his katanas are worth a pretty penny, but I wouldn’t know. I’m not a big katana fan either. Needless to say, I highly doubt the guy would lose something so essential to his identity, so it already feels like a sure thing that Appare will win the race.

— Out of nowhere, Appare ends up inventing the goddamn segway, so Al wants it along with Kosame’s swords. If there was any doubt that Appare will win, they should now be gone by now. Al’s not gonna take everything.

— Elsewhere, we see Xialian continue to hem and haw about her future. Appare may have planted the seeds of rebellion in her heart, but they haven’t sprouted yet. In any case, he stops by to pick up junk parts that nobody wants anymore. In the process, he tells her all about his contest with Al. The girl continues to be a non-believer, so of course, she tells Appare that he has no chance of beating a BNW. I guess he just has to keep proving her wrong until she decides to do something with her life. I didn’t mind her character last week, but I think she’s dragging her feet a bit too much. Just how many times does a guy have to tell you to live your own life?

— On the day of the race, Appare and Kosame show up in this ugly hunk of junk. Luckily, this isn’t a beauty contest. Still, I feel like its height might make it flip over when taking a tight corner. Ah well, maybe that’s why the wheels are so big. Plus, I’m just a layman when it comes to cars.

— During the actual contest, the BNW car is clearly faster in a straight race from point A to point B. Appare, however, makes things easier for himself by completely jumping a cliff. I really gotta wonder the physics behind a stunt like this, but let’s just forget about that for now. After all, Appare still finds himself behind his opponent, so he turns to his trump card.

— I honestly thought he was gonna shoot Al down from a distance. I’m sure the writers wanted that reaction from the audience too. But instead, he just launches the engine ahead with Kosame desperately clinging to his life. As a result, he lands a few meters away from the finish line and finishes the rest of the race by foot. Welp, that sure is a victory.

— I like the gang’s reaction to Appare’s gambit.

— In the end, Al holds up his end of the bargain. Appare tries to give him the segway anyway, but his pride gets the better of him. Luckily, Sofia has some common sense. Was he really gonna make his friend walk home on foot just because he lost? I mean, seriously now…

— Meanwhile, Xialian could’ve driven back with the boys, but I guess she feels that she needs a long walk through the California desert. Y’know, to reflect and think things over. I honestly thought a car lover like her would’ve asked to drive the BNW home, but oh well.

— Fun episode, I guess, but I hope we get to the race sooner rather than later.