SK8 the Infinity 1×12 Review: Our Infinity!

SK8 the Infinity‘s finale, ‘Our Infinity!’ aired yesterday. After experiencing my fair share of disappointing TV show endings, I was worried if it could wrap up all its loose ends in a satisfying way. While there are some minor details of the story left unresolved, overall, the ending thankfully hits the mark!

Warning: This review contains some spoilers for past episodes of SK8.

SK8 the Infinity’s finale. titled ‘Our Infinity!’ picks up right where episode 11 left out, just after ADAM defeats Reki in a race in a humiliating pyrrhic victory. After watching last week’s penultimate episode, I wondered how a single episode could cover everything the story needed to feel complete. Episode 12 would have to feature the long-awaited beef between ADAM and Langa and provide answers for other aspects of the plot. The temporary conflict between our two protagonists, Reki and Langa, had already been resolved, so most ground that was left to cover pertained to ADAM. Namely, the tension between ADAM and his secretary Tadashi, and the police officer, Kamata, who has been investigating ADAM’s political corruption in his public life.

For much of the show, ADAM has pursued Langa as his EVE. Through flashbacks in previous episodes, we are shown that Langa is not the only skater that ADAM has challenged like this in hopes of finding his equal. For much of his life, ADAM’s pursuit of an EVE has been more than about skateboarding, because skateboarding to ADAM is not just about having fun the way it is for Reki and Langa. To him, skateboarding has been an escape from an abusive and repressive upbringing. His search for an EVE is ultimately revealed to be a search for someone who can share in his loneliness and pain. It’s implied that in the past, this person was Tadashi, who taught him how to skateboard in the first place. After a falling out in their teens, skateboarding became less of a positive outlet for ADAM and more of a self-destructive obsession. This is illustrated by how the beef against Langa was meant to be a “wedding” of sorts but, after his race against Reki, ADAM switches the theme to a “funeral.”

So, my questions for episode 12 ‘Our Infinity!’ were: Would Langa be able to break ADAM free of his fruitless pursuit? And would ADAM realize he had never truly been alone since Tadashi has remained by his side all along?

The power of friendship is a common theme in anime and manga. After a while, it can feel forced, contrived, or like a lazy shorthand for actual emotional development between characters. SK8 is one of the few stories I’ve experienced in a long time where the use of “the power of friendship” as means to form understanding and sympathy with the antagonist truly felt fitting and meaningful. ADAM and Langa’s beef was by far my favorite race of the entire show. Not only do they both show up with near gear, but they are also each able to come to terms with their own grief–Langa’s grief from his father passing away, and ADAM’s grief from believing he is alone.

Hilariously, while I assumed in my review last week that ADAM would face some kind of consequences for his actions, episode 12 subverts this expectation because ADAM just rolls like that. From start to finish, his character is dramatic and vivacious, and even after being humbled at S, he is still relentlessly himself.

There is also a delightful moment between Reki and Langa just before the credits begin to roll, which mirrors the beginning of episode 1 and bookends SK8 the Infinity perfectly. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of the ending scene of Yuri on Ice, where Yuri and Viktor finally skate together, not for the sake of competition in the public eye, but to enjoy being together.

There are two manga adaptations of SK8 ongoing–one is a straightforward adaptation of the anime, and one is a comedy titled SK8 Chill Out! These are both only available in Japanese at the moment, though any extra content for such a lovable cast of characters is welcomed. I’m curious to see if the manga adaptation will be able to fill in some of the little story gaps that the anime had.

What did you think of ‘Our Infinity!’?

Let us know.

Author: C. Smith

C. Smith is a lifelong fan of comics and manga whose primary interest is in webcomics.

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