REVIEW: ‘Overtake!’ Season 1 Raises The Bar For Sports Anime

In a year slammed with incredible anime, Overtake! Season 1 manages to carve its own niche and stand out among the better options. The original video animation from Troyca takes a look at the world of Formula racing in the form of the Formula 4 series in Japan. Like in real life, there is so much brewing beneath the surface just waiting to be explored.

The story of Overtake! Season 1 follows two primary characters; freelance photographer Kouya Madoka (Katsuyuki Konishi) and the up-and-coming driver Haruka Asahina (Anan Furuya) of Komaki Motors. Kouya is hired to photograph a Super GT racing event when he stumbles upon Formula 4 and almost instantly falls in love. It is there that he meets the Komaki Motors team, owned and operated by the father-son duo of Futoshi and Koutarou alongside their driver Haruka.

Both Kouya and Haruka have experienced severe trauma in their lives and their relationship starts off quite rocky, to say the least. Kouya is over-eager, determined to find sponsors for Komaki Motors so they can compete with their rivals Belsorriso. He dives in headfirst, and Haruka is wary of his commitment. This icy relationship causes some turmoil at the start of the season, but the two slowly start to learn more about each other as things unravel.

The first real turning point is when Kouya tries to take a picture of Haruka but is unable to. It is revealed that a traumatic event in Kouya’s past has left him unable to take pictures of people, something that makes his job pretty difficult. It also put some severe strain on his marriage, ultimately leading to divorce. Kouya originally seems like a bumbling idiot, a kindhearted guy who means well but does not quite think things through at first. While that is somewhat true, the context behind his behavior makes him incredibly endearing.

Viewers aren’t the only ones who find Kouya’s energy endearing, as the Komaki team quickly learns to appreciate his help. Formula 4 is incredibly cutthroat, so his sincere presence is refreshing for viewers and characters alike. The only one who struggles to like Kouya is Haruka, but even his feelings change as the team’s fortune starts to improve. It is an extremely personal and realistic approach, with it making complete sense that Haruka would remain weary until he saw the fruit of Kouya’s labor.

The success on the track and the work Komaki Motors puts in off of it are extremely important, but the real heart of the series lies in the character work outside of the racing backdrop. Haruka and Kouya both learn more about what makes each other tick, leading to some truly excellent and emotional scenes. There is one in particular when the two are talking at the grave of Haruka’s father that does such an amazing job of explaining Haruka’s mindset and why he tends to appear standoffish. It allows Kouya to realize it is not entirely personal, that Haruka has been through so much on his own and his drive to succeed takes precedence over everything.

It is that drive to succeed that makes Haruka’s willingness to open up even more enjoyable. He could be a single-minded driver like some of his rivals are, but Kouya’s personality allows him to see a different side of racing. He even turns down a chance to join Belsorriso, a surefire way to win races, in order to stick with the family that has loved and supported him so far. That moment shows immense personal growth, one of the key themes of Overtake! throughout.

But the final turning point, the most emotionally resonant and important moment of Overtake!, is when Kouya disappears. He is dealing with his own history and the trauma that led him to be unable to photograph people, and everyone worries about his wellbeing. No one, however, worries about him as much as Haruka. The kid who started off disliking Kouya is now willing to go wherever he needs to check on his friend, and ultimately he is able to help and inspire Kouya in the face of horrible circumstances. Haruka’s growth culminating in such a beautiful interaction between him and Kouya is what Overtake! is all about, and it is what makes it stand out among other sports anime.

Side characters in Overtake! also serve very important roles in the development of Kouya and Haruka. Their teammates serve as a family, a safe and supportive place in their darkest moments. Even people like Kouya’s ex-wife play important roles in keeping the characters grounded. Haruka’s chief rivals, Satsuki Harunaga and Toshiki Tokumaru of Belsorriso, have their own story arcs as well that give them more to do than just serve as on-track rivals. Their growth and development are what makes Haruka’s improvement on the race track feel so much more impactful than it would be normally.

In the midst of all of the drama is some seriously great racing. After all, it wouldn’t be a sports anime if we did not get to see some excellent competition. Troyca absolutely nails the representation of Formula 4, down to the smallest detail, and that helps bring the on-track action to life. The 3D animation used during the races flows seamlessly and allows the cars to move just like they would in real life. The tension the drivers feel as they challenge for a podium finish is palpable thanks to the wonderful animation.

Overtake! Season 1 delivers a near-perfect combination of intense action and beautiful character moments that raises the bar for other sports anime. Seeing the characters grow over time makes their racing exploits even more special, and this one is truly one for the ages.

Overtake! Season 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.