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Hill Climb Girl: Bradley Wiggins stars in - and inspires - cool Japanese animation

Team Sky rider given the anime treatment in delightful film Hill Climb Girl

Here’s something delightful to brighten up your Friday afternoon – a charming anime video from Japan called Hill Climb Girl, and what’s more, it stars Team Sky’s very own Bradley Wiggins.

Not only is the 2012 winner back riding the Tour de France – that’s a 2014 jersey he’s wearing – but his exploits on one of cycling’s most iconic climbs also provide inspiration for a high school student who idolises him.

She’s Hinako, aged 17, and every morning she races a boy from her class up the hill to their school, and she’s never beaten him yet.

The detail is superb, including the Rapha backpacks both youngsters tote to school, accurate down to the strap buckles, to the Rich Mitchelson Wiggo keyring – he gets a suitable credit.

We think it’s great, and we’d love to see more of this kind of thing.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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32 comments

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polyx | 9 years ago
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Anybody knows what 3D software they used to produce it ?  16

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Forester | 9 years ago
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I did get it but it seems to be aimed at preteens

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Quince replied to Forester | 9 years ago
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Forester wrote:

I did get it but it seems to be aimed at preteens

Well, y'know, it's a 7 minute short about riding up a hill. The animation's charming, and you get to see Wiggins being super inspirational. In Japanese.

Super Inspirational Japanese Bradley Wiggins.

I don't consider that to be time wasted.  3

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richmitch | 9 years ago
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If you're wanting to watch on an apple device best to download the free app to watch the film https://itunes.apple.com/ja/app/anime-jian-ben-shi/id924812733?mt=8 as I think the video is using flash player on the studio khara site. Thanks!

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antonio | 9 years ago
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Tried all the links suggested, still a big black screen.

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Quince replied to antonio | 9 years ago
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antonio wrote:

Tried all the links suggested, still a big black screen.

Have you tried a number of different web browsers? That's usually my last resort, and it often ends up working.

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Bob's Bikes replied to Quince | 9 years ago
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Quince wrote:
antonio wrote:

Tried all the links suggested, still a big black screen.

Have you tried a number of different web browsers? That's usually my last resort, and it often ends up working.

Same as antonio then tried your suggestion, went from moz firefox to internet exp and it worked

THANX

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slythgoe | 9 years ago
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Awesome animation and Wiggo has never been cooler

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CAF2012 | 9 years ago
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For those who can't get the video to play, try the animator expo front page - http://animatorexpo.com - as the video is currently on there and plays fine for me (I can't get it to play on the page linked to from the article either).

I think it's only on the expo front page for a few days, so this might stop working as a solution soon.

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IanW1968 | 9 years ago
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Can we have a working link?

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matthewn5 | 9 years ago
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That's lovely. Liking the change up to get up on the pedals. And the ref above to Belleville Rendezvous is spot on.

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chrisl | 9 years ago
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Whee! Go girl!

That was lovely  1

Will be inspired once I've shifted this bout of flu...

Those having problems watching, the video vanished on my ipad but was fine on pc+firefox so may be a browser/mac issue?

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Gkam84 | 9 years ago
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I've seen Japanese animation like this somewhere before.

I was waiting for a huge cock to jump onto the screen.....then he did  24

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Ultwe | 9 years ago
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Is that a preliminary to Sky formally announcing a women team??
 39

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unistriker | 9 years ago
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THIS IS AWESOME !!! SO PERF!!

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wild man | 9 years ago
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Wiggins would have told her to be content to stay on his wheel and wait for the tt, though. She' s riding like Joaquim Rodriguez with a Mark Renshaw headbutt thrown in.

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crikey | 9 years ago
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Why is Sir Wiggo represented in an almost photo-realistic style yet the Japanese girl is portrayed in some unrealistic strange cartoon fashion?

Excellent animation, but...

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fukawitribe replied to crikey | 9 years ago
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crikey wrote:

Why is Sir Wiggo represented in an almost photo-realistic style yet the Japanese girl is portrayed in some unrealistic strange cartoon fashion?

Excellent animation, but...

Seriously ?

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Quince | 9 years ago
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" まだ追いつける。諦めるな。"

Bradley Wiggins - 2014

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michophull | 9 years ago
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Not much of a story but the best bit of cycling animation I've seen since Belleville Rendezvous.  41

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therevokid replied to michophull | 9 years ago
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michophull wrote:

... Belleville Rendezvous ....

runs off to the dvd cabinet for some later on viewing  1

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gingerjulie | 9 years ago
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love this it is fun

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Quince | 9 years ago
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Uwaaah! I want Japanese Wiggins to be my badass uncle! He's so cool and inspiring!

On a similar theme, there's an anime entire series on road racing airing at the moment (www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1BxzwZLR74&spfreload=10). Maybe the sport is enjoying a similar surge in Japan as it is here. Or maybe not, I really don't know.

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Bob's Bikes | 9 years ago
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I must be doing something wrong as I press play but nothing happens

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Grubbythumb replied to Bob's Bikes | 9 years ago
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FATBEGGARONABIKE wrote:

I must be doing something wrong as I press play but nothing happens

Same here.

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ch | 9 years ago
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omoshiroiiiiiiii!

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RTB replied to ch | 9 years ago
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ch wrote:

omoshiroiiiiiiii!

So desu ne demo moto sugoi desu.

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HandyAndy247 | 9 years ago
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Sideburns aren't long enough  21

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aslongasicycle | 9 years ago
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Keeewwwl! Love a bit of Japanese animation. With pro cyclists in. WOOF.

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glynr36 replied to aslongasicycle | 9 years ago
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aslongasicycle wrote:

Keeewwwl! Love a bit of Japanese animation. With pro cyclists in. WOOF.

Give Yowamushi Pedal a watch as well!

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