Rifling 4 -- Let's Go! Rifling 4!!!!（Let's go!ライフリング4!!!!）/Yuuyake Friends（夕焼けフレンズ）

Now that in Canada, it's most likely that things won't gain any sort of normalcy until July, the biweekly Sunday routine with my anime buddy has gone into its own lockdown. However, I am getting caught up with some of the programs that I couldn't finish from Fall 2019 since my friend took off for Asia over the Holidays.

Interesting how during last year that there were two series whose titles had some reference to firing weapons. One was the grim cyberpunk "No Guns Life" which will be having its second season starting this month, while the other program is on the other side of the spectrum in tone, and that one was "Rifle is Beautiful". "Rifle is Beautiful" is so fluffy and moe that I had assumed that it originated from Kirara just like "Gochuumon wa Usagi desu ka?"（ご注文はうさぎですか）, but it actually hails from Tonari no Young Jump.

Especially during these dark times, it's relaxing to watch that slice-of-life anime that has some good friends joining forces to reach a goal in a mellow atmosphere. "GochuUsa" is all about the hot beverages and rabbits while "Rifle is Beautiful" deals with a high school air rifle club. The four main members are the adorable red-ribboned Hikari, her longtime buddy Izumi, somewhat high-strung Erika and stoic Yukio as played respectively by Machico, Akane Kumada（熊田茜音）, Saki Minami（南早紀）and Anna Yamaki（八巻アンナ）.

It took a while but the opening and ending themes have finally come around to me. The opener is "Let's Go! Rifling 4!!!!", a typically upbeat and supremely perky tune that wouldn't be out of place as a theme for a "PreCure" show. Sung by the above four seiyuu under the unit name of Rifling 4（ライフリング4）, it's nice to hear this as I head for the final two episodes of "Rifle is Beautiful". The song was written and composed by KOH.

The ending theme is "Yuuyake Friends" (Sunset Friends), also performed by Rifling 4, which I like even better than "Let's Go!" due to the refrain and the more wistful nature. With melody by KOH and lyrics by Mayu Miyazaki（宮崎まゆ）, the title might suggest the four buddies going home together at dusk after another rigorous practice session at the range.