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Invincible Fight Girl Eps. 9-10 Review

It’s all come down to this moment, folks. Right when it looks like Andy would never get the chance to show her skill as a wrestler, fate (and Craig) handed her a second chance. Unfortunately, that second chance came in the form of the Perm Gang, who were not happy that she beat them back on Accountant Island. More importantly, though, this is Andy’s last chance to master the Perfect Strike. Yet nothing she does has worked up to now! However, Andy is the kind of person who learns best under pressure, as she unlocks the final piece she needs to become an Invincible Fight Girl.

The Perm Gang’s Dark Past

He's afraid of the Perfect Strike?! #InvincibleFightGirl #Toonami pic.twitter.com/oazytt1yOE

— Toonami Faithful (@ToonamiNews) December 22, 2024

At the end of the last episode, Craig managed to bring the Perm gang right to Andy, and they are eager for revenge for beating Immaculate on Accountant Island. However, two things become apparent as the rematch between the two gets underway. The first is that Andy has gotten much stronger and faster since she first fought Immaculate. Given how this is based on Shonen anime, that should come as no surprise. Shonen series like Naruto and One Piece tend to have a power scale that the protagonist has to keep climbing to reach their goals. Even Aunt P admits to herself that Andy can wrestle.

The second most notable thing, though, is the fact that Immaculate has PTSD. While losing to Andy humiliated him, it was Quesa Poblana’s use of Haki that terrified him. He even shaved off his perm in a fit of panic. It gets to the point where Immaculate becomes too scared to even fight back, leaving Andy looking like the bad guy.

The first episode is that it focuses a lot on Immaculate and the Perm Gang, potentially to the detriment of Invincible Fight Girl. However, there is a reason why it’s doing so. Seeing how they started as bullied street rats before becoming bullies themselves highlights some of the core themes of Invincible Fight Girl. Those being how the determination to be the best at any cost can ruin one’s lives if one is not too careful. Still, as bad as the Perm Gang is, there’s still something heartwarming seeing them stand up for Immaculate.

Too bad that gets tossed out the window when they all decide to team up on Andy. And none of the Wrestlers can stop the fight. But what follows next is what defines Andy’s journey to becoming an Invincible Fight Girl.

The Real Fight Begins!

As the four-on-one begins in earnest, Andy’s skills and Mikey’s knowledge allow her to hold her own for a time. However, Andy’s obsession with mastering the Perfect Strike causes her to waste whatever advantage she has and drive her into a corner. And she is at a loss! She’s copied Quesa P’s stance and movement to a tee, but she can’t do it! That’s when Craig, of all people, figures out what Andy’s problem is.

The problem that Andy’s been having is that she’s been chasing after Quesa Poblana’s shadow all this time. She’s trying to be just like her idol, just like Deku tried to be just like All Might in MHA. Craig helps her realize that this kind of thinking doesn’t work, because she’s not Quesa Poblana. She’s her own person and needs to find her own path as a wrestler. That’s what people like Bertie, Ruff, and Tumble never understood. They were trying too hard to be like the great Quesa P rather than finding their own path. Once that realization clicks with Andy, all the pieces fall into place.

THE PERFECT STRIKE!!!#InvincibleFightGirl #Toonami pic.twitter.com/bcmGplbBQb

— Badgerclops (@beeclops) December 22, 2024

And with that, Andy performs a true Perfect Strike. She adapts the move to suit her own physique and pulls off the Perfect Strike, sending the Perm Gang blasting off again. It dislocates her arm, but it wins Andy the match. More importantly, it wins the respect of all the wrestlers present.

It also manages to attract some unsavory attention.

Quesa Poblana Takes Andy as Her Student For Real

Throughout the fight, Quesa Poblana has been talking to someone the show only refers to as “The Scouter” from the GWC. The two of them have history, and from what she’s implied about her past, something bad happened to Quesa that made her leave. When the Scouter sees Andy’s talent, he immediately tries to recruit her, only for Quesa to claim her as her student. It’s not out of any obligation to keeping her promise, though. She’s doing it because she knows that if she doesn’t, someone with ill intent will. And that’s where the season of Invincible Fight Girl ends.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT THE SEASON 1 FINALE…#InvincibleFightGirl #Toonami pic.twitter.com/vTLLQC2E8c

— Badgerclops (@beeclops) December 22, 2024

It’s unclear whether Invincible Fight Girl will be renewed, but if it is, then it needs to start explaining more about what happened to Quesa. There’s a very dark side to the world of wrestling, and Andy has only seen a small portion of it. If she wants to be the best, she needs to know what she’s getting into. And we need to have more epic fights. I’m hoping that it is released, because this show, while a little derivative at times, is still a fun watch.

I Give “Formation! The Perm Gang Strikes Back” & “The Missing Piece” a 4.5/5 Each

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Invincible Fight Girl Ep 8 Review

It’s a painful feeling, having a dream you want to fulfill only for no one to believe in it. Andy has been trying so hard to make her dream of becoming a wrestler a reality, but not enough people are taking notice of her. Now that she’s desperate to master the Perfect Strike like Quesa Poblana wants her to, Andy resorts to finding a new enemy to face off against. The only problem is that no one will take her seriously!

No One Takes Andy Seriously

Andy has done all she can to master the Perfect Strike. She’s copied Quesa P’s moves, she took everything she learned in Rumblewood to heart, but it’s still not enough. She can’t get it to work by training normally. So, at the suggestion of Craig and Mikey, she joins the Busters as part for their monthly wrestling tournament. The plan is that by fighting a tough opponent, Andy will be able to figure out the Perfect Strike under the pressure. In other words, it’s like how a Saiyan gets stronger the more they fight.

The people who made this show must have had a field day with designing the wrestlers at the Rusty Rumble, because they are so unique. There are fighters of all shapes, sizes, and even species at this tournament. I could spend a day or two trying to pick apart the most unique looking fighters, but two that wind up standing out the most are this wrestler called Opening Act…and Mbrandon.

And this is why we stan Mbrandon. #InvincibleFightGirl pic.twitter.com/6gibzuVKVY

— David DePasquale 🐯 (@wolfinsheeps) December 15, 2024

Appearing for the first time since his fight with Andy, Mbrandon is nothing but cordial towards her and his little brother. Furthermore, this episode confirms what I already knew: that Mikey ran away. What I didn’t expect was that MBrandon decided to help him run away, recognizing that having him stay with them was no longer safe. Even more surprising, the other brothers all came around to thinking the same thing! Fighting Andy changed them all for the better. However, it’s doubtful that Mr. Beefpuncha will see sense anytime soon. It’s worth it, though, knowing that Mbrandon no longer sees Andy as a joke.

What Kind of Joke Fighter is This?

Too bad the same can’t be said for the rest of the wrestlers. Seeing them reject Andy’s requests to fight them was beyond frustrating. Andy knew that she could hold her own in a match, but none of them were willing to give her the time of day! To add insult to injury, the only opponent she can get is a living joke: a man dressed in a shoe who’s never even fought in a match before!

This shoe is old and stinky. #InvincibleFightGirl #Toonami pic.twitter.com/LqxaPB10Fj

— Toonami Faithful (@ToonamiNews) December 15, 2024

Andy doesn’t even need to fight this guy to win; the Show is so clumsy that he knocks himself out! After that, Andy has to watch as everyone laughs at her!

But then, just when all hope is lost, Craig seems to come in clutch, finding some actual wrestlers for her to fight. The bad news? It’s the Perm Gang, the bullies that she beat all the way back in the first episode. They’re left without their precious perms, and they’re out for revenge as the episode comes to an end.

Check out the promo for #InvincibleFightGirl Season 1 Episode 9!

Premieres next Saturday at midnight on Toonami. pic.twitter.com/G2eTHNjBcX

— CNArchives (@CNArchivesYT) December 15, 2024

Big Finale in Store

With that, we are prepped for the two-part season finale, and the season is coming full circle. Andy’s first opponents return for a rematch, only this time, people who can make things happen will be watching. Case in point, the mysterious man who narrated the opening to the first episode, an agent for the GWC, will be watching her. While that seems like a good thing, the fact that Quesa Poblana’s unnerved by his appearance adds fuel to my belief that something bad happened to her to force her into retirement. Even if Andy wins, she may end up getting roped into some shady things.

Then again, plenty of Shonen protags have fought against the darkness of their world to fulfill their dreams. It’s par for the course, and I have faith in Andy!

I Give “The Rusty Rumble” a 4/5

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Invincible Fight Girl Ep 7 Review

In my review for the last episode of Invincible Fight Girl, I compared what was happening to the infamous Hatfield-McCoy feud. I didnt find it that interesting, though, since the whole Ruff and Tumble feud felt so stupid. However, after the latest episode, I must revise my opinion. Not only was their feud stupid…but it becomes a tragic example of letting obsession destroy everything one can hold dear. And why deadbeat parents are the worst.

Deadbeat Parents are the Worst

With the Fingers and Toes fighting an all-out war, Andy, Mikey, and Craig are left with the unenviable task of setting things right. Unfortunately, thanks to Craig, they discover the real culprit behind the escalation. It was all Bertie, the lone resident of Tumbleweed that refused to leave. She did all of this as part of some desperate attempt to get her parents to stop fighting so they could be a family again.

I was…honestly caught off-guard by the fact that Bertie was Ruff and Tumble’s daughter. But with her deception revealed, Andy has no choice but to fight Bertie while the boys try and tell everyone the truth. Andy hoped that this will be what finally brings peace back to Tumbleweed. However, the show chooses to subvert our expectations at this point.

SHE HAS BECOME UNBOUND#InvincibleFightGirl #Toonami pic.twitter.com/I6WxUx6I80

— Toonami Faithful (@ToonamiNews) December 8, 2024

When Ruff and Tumble hear this was all Bertie’s doing, they don’t stop fighting. They don’t even care that their daughter did this because she was desperate to fix their broken family. All they care about is that she interfered with their obsession with beating Quesa Poblana. The big irony, though, is that by combining both their fighting styles, Bertie got closer to figuring out the Perfect Strike than they ever did. Andy herself says so as she fights her in a wrestling match!

There Was No Saving those Deadbeats

Deadbeat parents are something I’ve seen many times in fiction by this point, but it still hurts to watch. And when Bertie sees how her efforts backfired, she snaps and starts hulking out like she’s Kale from DB Super! She manages to become this absolutely incredible wrestler that comes close to seriously hurting Andy. Andy only wins by once again using finesse over force.

And what happens next almost had me in tears. Watching Bertie’s own parents drive her out of town like she’s a monster is heartbreaking to watch. All she wanted was to have her family back, but now, they’re gone forever. It’s a sad part of life, but not everything that gets broken can get put back together. Even Andy writes the town off as a lost cause, and the trio bails.

This was an absolutely heartbreaking episode of the series, and as Andy calls her parents back home, you can tell how the experience got to her. For the first time ever, she’s been exposed to the dark side of wrestling. The drive to win and be the best is normally a good thing, but if you let it consume you, it can end up destroying you. Andy needed to learn about this dark side, though, as I get the feeling that this darkness is why Quesa P had to leave wrestling behind.

https://twitter.com/ShroomMeister/status/1865629712854200364

What Will Andy Do Now?

Andy only has one day left to learn the Perfect Strike, and this experience has likely left her with more doubts than ever. But with only three episodes remaining (as far as I know), we’re coming down to the wire. That being said, I did appreciate the number of anime references there were to be found in Andy and Bertie’s fight. Everything from the Gum-Gum Gatling Gun to Bertie going full Kale; even the name of the episode is a reference to a Dragon Ball Z film! Say what you want about this series, but the people behind it clearly know about Shonen!

I Give “Bertie Unbound” a 4/5

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Invincible Fight Girl Ep 5 Review

Have you ever heard of the Hatfields and McCoy? Two 19th century Appalachian families whose blood feud became the stuff of legends. To this day, Hatfields and McCoys are by-words for revenge for blood feuds. I consider it an example of a fight that was relatively pointless and utterly stupid in the grand scheme of things. More importantly, though, it’s the only comparison I can make when it comes to the plot of the new episode of Invincible Fight Girl. When Andy’s efforts to master the Perfect Strike bear no fruit, she and her friends seek out two retired wrestlers who each claim they figured it out. Except neither of them did, and they tore apart an entire town because of their stupid feud.

The Hatfield-McCoy of Wrestling

So, there are now two days remaining in Quesa Poblana’s deadline for Andy to master the Perfect Strike. Despite managing to get some reference material thanks to Craig and Mikey, she’s still no closer to mastering it. Then they find some footage of two of her earliest rivals, a husband/wife duo called Rough and Tumble. After they lost, they said they would try to unlock the secret of the Perfect Strike to beat Quesa P. Thus, the trio head for the town where their Dojo should be…only to find it’s turned into a Hatfield-McCoy scenario.

As it turns out, Rough and Tumble came up with different conclusions for the Perfect Strike. One thought the secret was in the toes, while the other thought it was the fingers. They didn’t agree, things escalated as their followers split, and soon the whole thing spiraled out of control. Everyone not affiliated with them left, save for a lone girl named Bertie.

If I’m being perfectly honest, though, this episode did little to hold my attention. Why? Because this whole Hatfield-McCoy situation just seems so stupid! As soon as they arrive, Andy and the boys find themselves in the crossfire of this stupid feud. Mikey tries to learn what caused it through investigative journalism, but it becomes clear that neither Rough and Tumble know what they’re doing. As Andy puts it, they’re just stewing over the fact that they lost to Quesa P and not moving on with their lives. In addition, Andy points out that focusing on a single body part is stupid, as wrestling involves the entire body! The whole feud is pointless, dumb, and just wasting her time!

I Could’ve Done Without this Episode

I think that the point behind Rough and Tumble is to show Andy what would happen if she let her obsession with becoming a wrestler reach unhealthy levels or something. However, like I said, I don’t really care because this Hatfield-McCoy thing is pointless and stupid. Worse, Andy, Mikey, and Craig’s attempts to extend an olive branch only escalate things. But to be fair, it’s not entirely their doing. Someone (*cough* Bertie *cough*) blew up their dojos while everyone was out, prompting a full-scale battle in the heart of the old town.

While this episode does get points for continued use of silly anime faces, it loses them with what I think is a pointless side quest. I’d rather that Andy just learns the Perfect Strike through the videos so we can skip to seeing her actually train. Considering how this series might only have ten episodes, time is not something it can afford to waste. Get better, Fight Girl. Get better.

I Give “Behind the Wall: The Finger & the Toe” a 2/5

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Invincible Fight Girl Ep 5 Review

Now that Andy’s got a team, it’s time for the hard part: convincing Quesa Poblana to train her. Sadly, the former wrestler is adamant about being the mentor who initially refuses to take on a student. And to prove that she has what it takes, she’s got to pull off a seemingly impossible task of making the perfect strike. However, that’s not the problem; Andy has determination for days! The problem is that she has to learn when to ask for help. And Mikey and Craig have to learn how to work together for the sake of Andy.

The entire episode is about knowing when to ask for help. Even the best Shonen heroes need help.

Andy’s Determination to Do an Impossible Task…

After repeatedly bothering her (and sending her to the hospital), Quesa P is officially fed up with dealing with Andy. Thus, she issues an ultimatum to get her to leave her alone: pull off ten perfect strikes in a week. What is a perfect strike?

Basically, it’s Armament Haki. And Andy has no idea how to pull it off!

This is the part of the story where we deconstruct Andy’s determinator status. On the one hand, her drive to be a wrestler has allowed Andy to become a decent fighter. Like many Shonen protagonists, when she hits a wall, she hits it until it breaks. However, her determination becomes detrimental here as she insists on figuring this out alone, despite threatening to permanently damage her hands. They’re blistered and bleeding by the time Craig and Mikey find her!

…Might Not be Enough

As for her two friends, they both have different opinions on how to help Andy. Craig, rightfully guessing that his aunt set Andy up, wants to cheat. Mikey, though, wants to help by researching Quesa Poblana. Both end up failing rather miserably.

Craig goes to an over-the-top alley full of scammers for something to hack the machine being used…only to get scammed himself.

As for Mikey, he finds that every video of Quesa Poblana is suspiciously unavailable to the public. This makes me question if there’s no deeper reason why she retired…

It’s all pretty standard for a story like this, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And once the two realize the error of their ways and team up, they scare the daylights out of the scammers

They Found a Way to Learn the Perfect Strike

Having gotten their hands on Quesa’s wrestling arc, the trio are able to analyze her techniques, and by the fourth day, Andy looks to be on the road to mastering the perfect strike. She lacks the explosive power of her would-be mentor, but the fact that she still does this in such a short time is impressive. Andy might have some hidden talent after all!

This wasn’t my favorite episode of the series thus far. I could see how the formula was written and would play out from a mile away. That being said, I do love seeing a young person proving a bitter and cynical elder wrong about them. Plus, based on the preview for next week’s episode…actually I don’t know where it’s going. All I know is that it’s going to be chaotic.

I Give “Perfect Strike” a 3.5/5

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Invincible Fight Girl Ep 4 Review

In many of the Shonen series I’ve read over the years, there comes a point where the protagonist faces some pushback from the world around them. Someone or something out there often considers their goals to be foolish and something they should give up. On the surface, this is done so that they prove their detractors wrong when they eventually win. However, there’s another reason why this is a recurring plot point. As a demographic, Shonen is aimed at young boys and teens who are starting to learn more about the world around them. More often than not, they’ll learn how unfair the world can be and that people will want to see them fail. Invincible Fight Girl has already shown this, but the fourth episode has Andy fight her most brutal battle against this unfairness yet. Not just for her, but for the sake of her new friend, Mikey.

The result? An absolute feast for the eyes that would make Dragon Ball proud.

Shonen Formulas in Action

After seeing how her new friend, Mikey, was miserable under his overbearing dad, Andy challenged his family to a wrestling match. Her goal is two-fold: prove the other Beefpunchas wrong about her being a wrestler and show Mikey he can follow his dream of being a wrestling journalist. However, her opponent is Papa Beefpuncha’s oldest and strongest son, MBrandon.

Whoever came up with that name, you get a pat on the back for how funny that is.

As expected, Andy finds herself fighting an uphill battle right from the start. Her opening move sees her trying to use the same technique she used to win against Immaculate, which doesn’t work. From there, the fight turns into a David vs. Goliath scenario, with Andy serving as David to MBrandon’s Goliath. Though unlike many cases of this scenario, the fight doesn’t turn out how you’d expect. More on that in a minute.

Continuing to show off it’s love of Shonen anime with pride, the fight between Andy and MBrandon is animated much like one would be in a Shonen Series. The two trade blows at high-speeds like they’re in Dragon Ball. There are a ton of exaggerated facial expressions. We even get to hear Andy and MBrandon’s inner monologues as they think about what’s happening in the fight. And despite being kept on the defensive for most of the fight, Andy demonstrates her smarts and determination. First, she uses her size and speed to gain an advantage at several points in the fight. Second, she proves she can take a punch by letting MBrandon hit her several times so she can get a feeling for his fighting style. More importantly, though, her willingness to stand her ground manages to get through to Mikey.

Mikey Steps Up!

Papa Beefpuncha is a horrible dad for his constant belittlement of his youngest son. Despite being talented enough to become a wrestling journalist, his Dad belittles him to the point where he has low self-esteem, and it shows. However, not everyone in his family is like that, as a flashback about his (likely) deceased mother shows. Seeing Andy stand up for him manages to convince Mikey to openly support Andy against his family. And with his knowledge of wrestling, the two come close to winning the fight!

This, though, is when Fight Girl subverts the expectations of David vs. Goliath by having Goliath win.

Yes, despite coming close to losing, once MBrandon starts taking Andy seriously, he ultimately wins the fight. The look on Mikey’s face as Andy lies defeated is heartbreaking. He actually started to believe what she told him, only for his father to cruelly state that that’s the way of the world. Without strength, you can’t amount to anything in life, according to Papa Beefpuncha.

This Show Gets the Shonen Formula so Well

Ironically, this is another instance of the Shonen formula coming into play. Sometimes, the protagonist is met with defeat despite how hard they try, and that leaves them with a choice. They can either give up, or they use that loss to fuel them to do better. Having the resolve to keep going is an important trait to have in life, and Shonen series can be a good way of teaching kids this lesson. In Andy’s case, not only does she refuse to let the loss get to her, but she gets through to Andy…and Craig. The former says his Dad let him go with Andy to follow his dream, but it’s implied he just ran away. The latter also offers to get his aunt to train Andy in exchange for being her manager.

It may seem premature of me, but as it stands, I think Invincible Fight Girl is a love letter to the Shonen genre. The protagonist with the lofty dream with the world trying to drag her down. The exciting animation and exaggerated fights. Not to mention the themes present found in Shonen series. If they keep this up, I’m going to be recommending this series to many people I know who like anime!

I Give “The Way of the World” a 4/5

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Invincible Fight Girl Eps. 1-3 Review

Wrestling is one of the oldest sports in the world. Since dawn, men and women have grappled, pinned, and sparred in the arena for fame, glory, and bragging rights. In the modern day, professional wrestling is more theater than actual wrestling, but no one seems to care. Not when we see people in colorful costumes and cool names fighting each other! I’ve never been that tuned into the world of wrestling, but I am tuned into the world of animation, especially when it takes cues from anime. And that’s what led me to the newest show out of Cartoon Network on Toonami, Invincible Fight Girl.

The show’s only three episodes in, but it’s already got a good feel to it. Rendy Jones from the Den of Geek describes it as My Hero Academia meets the WWE. Other people have pointed out that it follows the traditional formula to many hit Shonen series. And the animation has been compared to Kill La Kill, which is a massive compliment! After seeing the first three episodes, I can confirm all these are true. Invincible Fight Girl is a western-made Shonen series, and after I’m done talking about it, you might think so, too.

In a World of Wrestlers…

In Fight Girl, there are two kinds of people: wrestlers and accountants. The masses worship the wrestlers as celebrities and demigods, with the greatest known worldwide! And ever since her parents took her to see a wrestling match, Andy Smith has wanted to become a wrestler. There’s just one problem: she’s from a family of accountants. Who live on an island of accountants.

Fight Girl is wearing its Shonen inspiration on its sleeve from the start. Like Luffy, Naruto, Deku and Asta, she wants to become something great and is willing to work hard to achieve it. Unfortunately, circumstances leave her in a position that makes it hard at best, and gets her laughed at at worst. She’s essentially a female version of Deku. It’s not like she can fall back on being an accountant, though, as she proves to have no talent for it. The way she types is so slow, it reminds me of how I was before I took a keyboarding class in high school.

The conflict on the first episode has her screwing up the taxes of a group of angry wrestlers when they show up for tax day. As a result, the gang proceeds to terrorize her hometown until she steps up and challenges them to a match to get them to back off. In keep with the comparisons to Deku, she is outmatched and out of her depth despite her determination. But just when she’s on the ropes, she shows the fruits of her secret training and pins the man to the floor. It’s a moment that would make Naruto proud.

Too bad for her, her parents saw the whole thing, ending the first episode on an awkward note!

…One Girl Seeks to Become the Very Best

Picking up right where the pilot ended, Andy has to deal with a new problem: her rightfully concerned parents. Her opponent tries to continue the fight despite losing, but this old woman who gave Andy advice unleashes Conquerer’s Haki that makes him back down/pass out.

Afterwards, Andy decides to come clean to her parents about everything, and the episode does a great job of handling this moment. Being a teenager, Andy is understandably frightened to tell her folks that she doesn’t want to be like them. And her parents initially think she’s confused because they don’t realize she’s lied to them about liking accounting for years. It’s not until she shows them her secret, homemade gym that they realize how serious she is about this. At this point, the show could have them try to stomp down on her dreams, but since they’re good parents, they understand how important this is to her and fully support her choices. So, with their blessing and the support of the entire island, Andy boards a ship to the mainland to follow her dreams!

Easier said than done, though. Once Andy arrives in the big city, she’s conned out of her phone by a guy named Craig and loses all her money and belongings. It’s only thanks to a group of nice wrestling washouts who run a dive bar that she finds a place to stay for the night. Considering the alternatives that could happen to a teen on her own in the big city, she’s very lucky!

Take a Shot for Every Shonen Jump Trope

So far this is the best scene in Invincible Fight Girl but I honestly don't see this happening to Andy. Even though Hajime No Ippo serves as an influence, which can go dreary, I just don't see that occurring as a season finale for this 10 ep show. I wouldn't mind being wrong. pic.twitter.com/L4gepThpPB

— THE AnimeHERO (@THEAnimeHERO) November 5, 2024

This is another moment where Fight Girl shows off its Shonen influences. Series like Naruto, One Piece, My Hero Academia and more often have moments where the protagonist is given a seemingly insurmountable obstacle they have to face. It’s the story’s way of testing them to see if they have the resolve to keep going, no matter how hard things may get. And while Andy does consider throwing in the towel, her determination wins out. And as fate would have it, the wrestlers at Buster’s (the name of the place) know where to find Quesa Poblana, the famed former wrestler that is Andy’s idol. With stars in her eyes, Andy becomes convinced this is destiny at work and jumps at the chance to meet and train under her hero.

Two things happen. Firstly, she discovers that Quesa Poblana is the old woman who advised about not letting anyone decide her future for her. Secondly, she refuses to train Andy.

Dark Underbelly of Wrestling

The third episode starts with Andy trying, and failing, to get Quesa P to train her. She doesn’t directly explain why she refuses to train Andy, but it’s what she doesn’t say that should be concerning.

Andy’s already seen firsthand that not everyone who’s a wrestler is going to be good people. And judging by the bitter look on Quesa P’s face, something happened that forced her to retire. Andy may not realize it yet, but the world she idolizes is likely one rife with corruption and cutthroat practices. That is further corroborated by what Craig, revealed to be Quesa P’s nephew, says about wrestlers. Most people are doing it for the money and fame, and he considers anyone who isn’t to be a sucker. In other words, Andy is going to be in for an uphill battle.

The Buffest 8-Year-Old Ever

While Andy may not have gotten a mentor in Quesa P, she does manage to find another way to train. After befriending Mikey, an eight year-old whose already built like a full-grown adult, Andy discovers how wrestlers use tenderizing as a training method. Here, we really get to see Andy show what she’s capable of, and she proves to have some latent potential in her. More importantly, she bonds with Mikey over their shared desire to buck their elders expectations of them. In Mikey’s case, despite being built like a tank, he wants to become a wrestling journalist. As a writer myself, I give props to him!

Unlike Andy’s supportive parents, though, Mikey’s dad is determined to make all his boys become wrestlers and regularly demeans Mikey for being soft. Outraged, Andy challenges his family to a match to get them back off, forcing her to face the oldest and strongest of Mikey’s brothers, Mbrandon.

No, really. That’s his name. The dad wanted all his kids names to start with “M” and ran out of ideas.

And that’s where the third episode ends.

Invincible Fight Girl is Worth a Watch

So, what’s the verdict? Is Invincible Fight Girl going to me worth my time? Let’s review:

It’s animation style evokes that of surreal anime like Kill La Kill, Gurren Lagann, and anything made by Studio Trigger.

The plot, characters, and world all seem to run on the rules of Shonen series.

The show seems to draw from all aspects of wrestling, from its humble roots as an actual sport to the majestic nature of the professional wrestling ring. That includes both the good and the bad aspects of the latter.

It may follow the typical Shonen formula a little too closely for some people, but as far as I’m concerned, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If anything, the series feels like a love letter to the genre of anime that inspired a generation. I don’t know how long this series can last since it’s under Warner Bros control, and Zaslav dislikes cartoons. However, I’m willing to enjoy the ride for as long as I can. With its animation style and Shonen leanings, Invincible Fight Girl looks to be a fun new series. I look forward to reviewing it on here.

I Give “I am”, “Dreamers and Busters,” and “Friends” a 4/5, 3.5/5, and 4.5/5 Each

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