Overtake!

I'll be short. This isn't a racing anime. There is no motosport or racing moment. This anime is categorized as Racing Anime, but there is no race in this story, the point is: someone that generally want to watch a racing anime, is because he/she is a car lover, and want to see real or fantasy racing, depend on the theme of the anime, but generally want to hear stuff related to motosport, engine or driving technique and skill. Take Initial D for example, for sure there is love and other things involve, to create more emphasis, but 9 episodes on 10, are people racing on the street, with different animation of people driving, and a lot of talking about engine technicalities or about driver's skill. This isn't a Racing Anime, this is a Drama anime, a good one, no doubt; the story is actually nice, a solid 6, drawing and audio are fine, CGI not that much, but it's a low series anime; a lot of drama, but not racing involved. If it was categorized as Drama only, it would be a solid 6 for me. But, the fact is, i couldn't care less for the photographer, yes, bad things append, but where are the car's moment, engine take apart, driving situation etc? Engine parts lying around on the shop, Haruka and Koutarou taking things apart and setting up, Futoshi talking about driving tactics and planning tires to use, watching weather for conditions, etc. If my desire was to see a drama anime, i would choose a drama anime! Like anyone. I'm not giving a 4, because i actually see worse stuff this season, and this one is watchable and nice, but not in point with the theme. There is no problem with people giving a higher vote, they just need to understand that this isn't a racing anime, because if someone is watching for new stuff and searching for a racing anime, something like Initial D, Wangan Midnight and came across this one, he/she would be a lot disappointed after few episodes, thinking it would be similar, reading good stuff on the review or seeing a high number vote.

Overtake!...it's not about overtaking in the literate sense, but rather about overcoming the difficulties in life, with some real-life situations thrown in for some realism. Truth be told, after Studio TROYCA's last offering, which was the rather cumbersome Shinobi no Ittoki from last Fall, the fault doesn't square on the studio itself but rather on the people involved in creating the original series itself, which is, quite frankly, a mess. And if you have ANY reason to doubt the studio's offerings, look no further than the in-house studio chief director Ei Aoki, which this show is his 3rd directorial series after both Summer 2014's Aldnoah.Zero and Spring 2017's Re:Creators, which shows you that Ei Aoki is still the best man to represent the rather small studio that's still flowing with creativity, backed by IDOLiSH7's series composer Ayuki Sekine, with supervision from screenwriter Takayama Katsuhiko. Also, despite the Fall season having two sports (racing) series airing at the same time: this vs. Initial D's successor sequel MF Ghost, I would recommend this show in a heartbeat. In its simplest form, Overtake! is the story of both young and old: an up-and-coming high school student aiming to be a driver in F4, and a freelance photographer who has an episodic slump of his own. The said driver, Haruka Asahina of Komaki Motors, backed by owner Futoshi Komaki and best friend-cum-engineer of his son Kotarou Komaki, the small privateer team is as a clean sheet as it is with no sponsors at all, literally funding by the skin of their own earnings. And being an up-and-coming team, Komaki Motors had to work doubly as hard as compared to the other teams, especially the one team that's had it going for them: the Ferrari-like emblazoned Belsorriso team of lead drivers Satsuki Harunaga (being the ladies' man, backed by his skillful driving talent) and Toshiki Tokumaru (who's always considered as the former's support driver), as well as grid girl Alice Mitsuzawa (who has an interest with Satsuki, despite being Kotarou's childhood friend), with the team's owner, Kyousuke Ena. Also, if this is your first introduction to Formula 4 racing, then congratulations! You most likely know about Formula 1, but F4 is the starting point for aspiring, beginner drivers. With Haruka fighting to achieve victory for his rather empty team to rise up the ranks, this is as typical as it gets for professional racing, laden with the usual issues of self-confidence and support. On the other hand, said photographer Kouya Madoka, along with his chief editor and ex-wife Saeko Yukihira, seems like the usual happy-go-lucky character doing his freelance work, but something beneath him lurks so much that it causes him to sync out of whack. Sure, he can take regular photos for the press, and whilst not knowing anything about F4, he decides to take the opportunity and plunge to overcome his trauma, which is solely referenced to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake incident, just for inspiration and nothing more. Like as mentioned, both the young and old with rather different personalities and a generational gap that still manages to have common inklings between each other, I'd think that the formula may be simple for what both Kadokawa and TROYCA were going for, but it executes rather well for an easy-going series that always has to balance the intricacy between both sports and daily private lives, so you don't need to be an F4 connoisseur just to watch this show. As expected, TROYCA delivers on their impressive animation as one of the show's strongest features, relying on smooth and well-animated 3DCG to show the realism of F4 racing, plain and simple. The music, on the other hand, is decent as well; I quite liked Vtuber Kanae's OP song, as much as Tasuku Hatanaka's ED song is just OK at best. All in all, Overtake! is a rather simple show; while it may not have the "revolutionary revelation" story plot that it offers, what it has is pure adrenaline and simplicity, which I think is a smart move on Ei Aoki's behalf that's accessible for just about anyone interested in the show (compared to MF Ghost, where you definitely need to have some knowledge of the original prequel source material). So, I'll say, go for it if you want some casual sports anime.

Frankly my favorite seasonal of Fall 2023, by a mile. And that's saying something considering how great a show like Frieren is in Fall. I feel like prefacing this by saying this completely clear, yet somehow still ignored, fact. Overtake is NOT Initial D/MF Ghost, nor is it trying to be, and thus, it's not fair to compare them with each other, as both shows are completely different. How, you ask? Well, here are some examples I can list off of the top of my head: -Overtake's story is character driven, Initial D/MF Ghost's story is narrative driven, a very poor narrative, but a narrative nonetheless. -Characters in Overtake have nuance and a dynamic relationship between others, as well as inhibiting well written themes that are relevant to the story. Initial D/MF Ghost...has none of that, all the characters are static, and they only form relationships to satisfy the plot. Hell, it might not even satisfy that. -Overtake is focused on open wheel circuit racing. Initial D/MF Ghost is mountain road street racing. -Overtake is realistic, Initial D/MF Ghost isn't. -Overtake is sponsored by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, the governing body for all European motorsports, F1 included), Initial D/MF Ghost is the machinations of someone who thinks what racing is. -Overtake's artstyle is well drawn. Initial D/MF Ghost has an artstyle that is stuck in the 80s and modern animators have to work hard to make it not ugly. -And lastly Initial D/MF Ghost has Eurobeat, and Overtake doesn't. So I suppose that's the dealbreaker for why they prefer those two shows compared to Overtake. I'd honestly go far as to say Overtake is what a proper racing anime should be. A narrative driven and executed by characters with their own personal motivations, goals, fears, troubles and developments. With some good old racing on the side, which I think is great, even if somewhat limited in the CG animation and music. But more than that, it's the first modern anime to depict not only realistic racing, but how racing works outside the track. The protagonists and their cast of side characters constantly have to struggle with the financial side of motorsports and how the sport itself is a bottomless money pit that can only be filled if: A) You git gud enough to win. B) Get sponsors to help you fill that pit enough to support yourself for an entire season. Contrast that to the team of the antagonists, Belsorisso, who have enough money to run in other racing categories, fully equipped and trained teams to keep the cars running and maintained, as well as a driver's program, and you can see clearly in the first few episodes how the odds are stacked against the protagonists. It has moments that are realistic in racing, and for that, I applaud it for. I also applaud it for how it doesn't indulge in the racing unlike other contemporaries. It takes the risk of letting us know the characters and their own motivations, beliefs, and goals and I think it does that pretty well. It's genuinely thrilling and relatable stuff, and it makes all the moments that they do race hit that much harder. Haruka isn't a generational prodigy that drove to deliver tofu. He's a kid motivated to see what his father saw in racing with friends that knew him. And all the other characters have that kind of level of nuance and depth added that makes it compelling to watch even further. Along with themes I mentioned previously about how hard it is to get to motorsports without good financial backing, you deal with themes like loss, trauma and how it affects someone's passion/profession, the pressure added by others, and the need to prove yourself of greatness. It's all rather compelling and it's pretty amazing on how it manages to be on a well paced story of 12 episodes. Would I recommend this to someone though? For a fan of racing and a good story, of course. But to your average weeb who might not/won't be interested in racing? I don't know, it's a hard sell. To it's credit, the show does an amazing job of conveying racing lingo and knowledge to someone who doesn't know it. Hell, one of the two protagonists is basically that, an absolute clueless guy who doesn't know the first thing about racing. But it's honestly hard still to recommend it, especially when it's not something like Initial D. And it's a seasonal, so if it's not popular like Frieren, Bocchi The Rock, or Dress Up Darling, it'll get forgotten, as is the nature of most seasonals. Still though. For me, this is the best seasonal for Fall 2023, and I wouldn't have it any other way. This won my heart from the moment it was teased, and if this somehow opens the door for more racing anime, fictional or grounded in realism, I'll be more than happy to say I was there when it first started. I just hope the animation teams come packing with money because I'm sure having all these sponsors and licenses cost a pretty penny, and that's not including the FIA's official sanctioning, which I'm sure put a hole in their budget.

Half about a photographer's Japanese trauma, half about racing. Overtake! is pretty solid overall. There are some stretched interactions. Like why is the photographer uncle so obsessed with the racing boy? Kinda sus, no? Well, not every action is reasonable. So we will let the uncle pass this far. While the anime does talk a lot of technical stuffs about racing, like tires, parts and money, it does lack the heat in music and action. It's one of those anime that sets its theme on something popular like music band and sports, but ultimately spends most of its time developing characters. One anime that I begrudge doing this is Beck. There's more talking than music. Like... you gotta have at least 15% of the run time with stuff you advertised, you know? I wanna hear the sounds of engine rumbling constantly every episode. Funny enough, as I am writing this, there is a seasonal anime named High Speed Etoile, that does exactly this. I guess racing is a boring sports. More boring that football, I dare say. You really need more anime gimmicks to spice it up. Like Meteor Jam! Emperor Time! Kansai Drifto! Revol Bursto! But Overtake! has an try-to-be-real and mature approach, so those cannot fly. Try to be real, but not real enough. Try to be fun, but limited by real. Overtake! could not overtake itself. It never went full throttle.

For anyone that's into motorsports like f1, you will enjoy this anime. the show (at least the first season) is grounded in reality for the most part, and gives some insight on what goes on in the paddock in something like f4. while there is a bit of skepticism of whether or not its actually possible to have a competitive car that can compete in f4, maybe the cost is significantly lower in japan. you still need a significant amount of capital that is required to be able to compete even in f4 that tiny local sponsorships and hard work just cant cover. unless those sponsorships are giving thousands or tens of thousands of dollars each. but those details are ultimately irrelevant anyway in the end, and is just nitpicking at this point. the animation is done relatively well, and there's no ridiculous anime super technique that makes one driver better than another. the anime stays truthful to the main aspects of motorsports, especially most, if not all, of the driving aspects. it doesnt get too technical, but gives enough information for the casual viewer to understand and enjoy as well too. this series was airing at the same time as mf ghost, which i thought was maybe one of the most cringe (sorry, i just dont know how else to describe mf ghost) animes that i have ever seen. i genuinely cannot comprehend how mf ghost is rated higher than overtake, and how overtake is rated so poorly. the show did a decent job, and im looking forward to what comes next. i would give this series a 7.5/10, but since i cant, i guess 8/10? idk, truthfully, maybe closer to 7/10 than an 8/10, but we'll put it at 8 because i dont want to push this score any lower than it already is to mf ghost which imo is a 2 or 3.

This anime was a pleasant surprise in more ways than one. When I started watching Overtake!, I expected a lighthearted and slightly above-average sports anime at best—one that I would’ve forgotten about a week after watching. Oh, how wrong I was! In fact, this show is one of the best anime I have seen so far. In real life, I have zero connection to or interest in racing, let alone specifically Formula 4 racing. Yet, this anime got me invested in a sport I didn’t even know existed before watching the show, teaching me things about it in the process. As also mentioned in its listing on MAL, this is a drama set in a racing environment, not the other way around. There are quite a few races, and they are exciting, but the focus is on the characters, their relationships, and how they face their struggles together. It’s about passion, chasing your dreams, dealing with loss, and overcoming trauma. The OP is great, the ED is good. The OST fits well and enhances each scene without being distracting. The voice actors do a fantastic job, and the sound design makes you feel like you're really standing next to a race track. The animation is smooth and visually stunning. As a picky viewer with an allergy to CGI, I have to say it works well here. In a fictional work like this, it's possible to use perspectives that real-life races can't capture, allowing for some truly cool shots. The lighting sets the right mood and reinforces the emotional impact of a scene, whether it's the loneliness of an empty apartment or the excitement of a race track on a sunny day. Many dramas suffer from predictable storytelling, making it easy to guess what happens next, which can break immersion (and lose my interest). That is not the case with Overtake!. The technical details and strategies necessary for the plot are explained naturally—not through forced exposition but rather through character interactions that also advance the story. This is great storytelling, following the ‚show, don’t tell‘ principle instead of spoon-feeding information like the audience consists of five-year-olds. While explanations do occur, at no point do they feel like info-dumping. What I love most about this show are the characters and their development. Their natural designs make it easy to connect with them emotionally, yet the art style is distinctive enough to set them apart from other anime. The motivations are reasonable, emotionally relatable, and engaging to follow. The struggle that impacted me the most was that of photographer Madoka Kouya. His trauma is incredibly well thought out and so powerfully executed that it had a stronger emotional impact on me than any other anime before. From all the anime series and movies I have watched (more than 340 completed entries on MAL at the time of writing this review), Overtake! is the first and only anime that has ever made me cry. Seeing the other characters try to understand him and help him face his past while fighting their own demons carried true emotional weight, and I found myself rooting for everyone. The friendships spanning various age gaps were handled well, feeling natural rather than forced or intrusive. For Harunaga and some of the other side characters, I would have liked a bit more background information, but given that this is a short 12-episode anime, it's simply a matter of prioritization. I’d rather have some underdeveloped side characters than have their arcs take away from the screen time needed for the main characters' development. The only ‚complaint‘ I can think of is that there’s no source material to dive into, as this is an original production—so I guess I'll just have to rewatch the series! This show is what other drama or sports anime, like Free!, should have been but failed to achieve due to a lack of emotional depth. Overtake! gets an easy 10/10 from me. I wish more anime were like this. Bravo!

"Did I ever tell you what the definition of insanity is? " "Insanity is doing the exact... same f#cking thing... over and over again expecting... sh!t to change..." "The first time somebody told me that, I thought they were bullsh!tting me, so, I shot him. The thing is... He was right" "And then I started seeing it, everywhere I looked, people doing the exact same f#cking thing... over and over again, all thinking 'this time is gonna be different" - Vaas (FarCry 3 Video Game) [Slightly Shortened & Cleaned] This is the epitome of this show, it does the exact same thing over and over again, expecting it to change. But... much like Far Cry 3... it's story is magnificent, it does everything correct for a story driven plot. Even though Overtake's theme is F4 automotive racing, it really does a great job on characterization and personality in the characters, which they actually feel realistic and believable in their development. And also like Far Cry 3 it really is subjective to what the plot focuses on, as such, the two main characters have completely different arcs in the plot, its main theme can be the F4 racing, but its focus is really the two main characters Kouya (Photographer) & Haruka (F4 Racing Protagonist). It focuses on Haruka's ascension up to the podium spot, but this also shows that he has become one like the Belsorriso with his improvements from being with them & against them, and much like how Jason Brody became more like Vaas to become more strong like his opponent, Haruka has become more like the Belsorriso racing team to give him an edge in races. Where Kouya straightens out his personal trauma, but keeps doing the exact thing that assisted his dive into his own personal insanity, which is, in fact, his love for photography. He does the exact same thing over and over, even though it ruins his mood and sometimes gives him panic attacks, but he believes he can change, but in this he changes his personality and identity, becoming more like his original self from when he didn't have to re-live the "accident" that makes him push himself down. Overall this is a great anime, I would say its as good as Frieren, but not as understood as well as Frieren. Give this a watch, it will be, at the bare minimum, a good watch, and to me, one of the best this season. Also want to add that this was the major surprise of the season for me, I believed that MF Ghost was going to be the better automotive anime this season... But this takes the cake for having a really good story, something that MF Ghost absolutely doesn't have to the same degree. Even though this doesn't have a race every episode, it's characters carry this show amazingly well, and races do not feel forced, and the ending is pretty good. And lastly thank YOU for reading :)

I have to hand it to them, I thought Troyca were dead in the water. After the disappointment that was Shinobi no ittoki, I thought they lost some of their magic. I’ve never been happier to be wrong. Overtake! is not just one of their best works, it’s one of the best anime originals of the year and a great underdog story of perseverance and determination. Racing fans ate good this season. Both Overtake!! And MF Ghost aired on the same day, but for me it was Overtake! as the best one from the start. I was instantly hooked by Kouya’s story and all the members of the Komachi motorsports family. As someone who plays racing games, but wasn’t familiar with the ins and outs of being on a racing team, maintaining cars, just how expensive it is to be a team, etc., I found this to be equal parts educational and enjoyable. I mean there is so much that goes into making sure both the vehicle and driver are prepared for a race that I didn’t appreciate until I saw this anime. I’ve come out of it with a newfound appreciation for the athletes that drive these vehicles and everyone behind the scenes that makes it happen. While some might call the title misleading since there aren’t a ton of straight up racing scenes in the show, I completely disagree. I think the term Overtake! is a double entendre here not just for the actual physical overtaking that occurs during a race, but also for the characters who overcome their own individual obstacles during the course of the show. Whether it’s Haruka in the actual vehicle, or Kouya trying to get back into taking pictures of people again, everyone’s dealing with some deep rooted trauma that gets explored. Troyca really nailed one of the most difficult things with an anime original series, having us fall in love with characters we knew nothing about before. This is one of a handful of series to make me cry this year. Episode 9 was genuinely one of the best episodes of anime this year, full stop. An actual masterclass in direction, conveying emotion and humanisation of characters. I can’t emphasise enough how much I fell in love with this cast and will be sad to see them go. They really nailed this family dynamic that oozed through the screen in every scene. Something akin to what you’d see while watching hard knocks in the NFL or an NBA locker room behind the scenes vid. Troyca rarely miss from a technical perspective and this is no different. They brought out all the stops for their 10th anniversary series. The art is gorgeous, character designs are pleasant, animation is smooth and the motions of all the characters are so fluid. Really well done here. In the few races that we have, the CGI isn’t obtrusive and doesn’t distract, but enhances each moment making for a more engaging and exhilarating experience. While it may not have the Eurobeat soundtrack, skimpy bikinis and over the top races of MF Ghost, what it lacks in action it makes up for in emotion, drama and spirit. Much like Komachi motors, this is an underdog show that probably won’t get the appreciation it deserves, but anyone who watched it will be able to testify to its greatness. If you’re at all a fan of well written characters, racing, sports, bromances, etc, this is a must watch. One of the hidden gems of the year for sure and a great return to form for Troyca. Overtake!! Gets 8 out of 10.

"Overtake" is definitely a unique experience and adds its own unique twist to the genre. It's vastly interesting to see things from different viewpoints and it has deep emotions rooted in it also. The story is great and rather straightforward we follow the path of a photographer who happens to discover motor racing and wants to help the team and pilot. It's very refreshing and while you still get some good racing it's definitely not the focus here. The characters and interactions between them are really what's the most important thing here. The art is clean and the animation is decent. It's not the best for sure but racing is just one way for the author to convey his message. The animators still did a great job and we come across some good races and some nice moments. There are no flashy or jaw dropping moment but it for sure does the job well ! The opening song is absolutely great as i think the vibe is amazing and fits the anime really well. It's also really catchy as a stand alone too. The sound design is on point overall too with the sound of tires and engines being really realistic. It feels like a real race. The characters are the driving part of this show and really the main focus here. I woudn't say there's a lot of character development (especially for one of the main protagonist). However their interactions and bonds really makes you feel satisfied and feels very natural. It's like a life lesson but with racing as a medium and prism of focus. I found the show enjoyable as it was unique and really conveyed deep feelings and emotions. Also it's a breath of fresh hair from the shounen type hero racing. And more of a slice of life/mature vibes. The difference in age between the two protagonist also makes it feel like a great passing of knowledge of some sorts. And a way for both of them to get to know each other and move forward to the future while keeping their past in check. Overall it's been fabulous for an anime. I highly recommend it if you're here not just for the excitement of racing but for the real aspect around it and also the instrospection it gives us ! Give it a watch then !!!

"I've been fighting against myself the whole time" Overtake! is a beautiful experience to have, whether you're a fan of Formula and racing in general or not. I won't tell you you'll have the enjoyment of your life watching it nor you'll regret it, but it's a decent anime full of emotions, ear-pleasing SFX, and dramatic competitiveness. The anime takes a wild turn after 6-8 episodes and elevates on the dramatic side of the character building and writing which will explain things you've been wondering about since the first episode, and I enjoyed it a lot. Although I didn't like certain things, I still loved and enjoyed the experience. I absolutely recommend it. Ratings: Plot 7/10: The plot of Overtake! is solid, even though you need 6-8 episodesto reach the full dramatic depth to character development, it still is enjoyable the whole run. Art Style 7/10: The art style generally appealing and consistent throughout the anime. While there are some issues with character designes, it doesn't significantly impact the overall visual experience. And when it comes to vehicles and race tracks: it's almost flawless. Animation 7/10: The animation contributes to the overall beauty of the anime, offering a visually pleasing experience, though it doesn't necessarily stand out as exceptional. Main Characters 7/10: The main characters are well-developed, and the dramatic turn in character building enhances their depth, contributing positively to the overall narrative. Side Characters 6.5/10: While the side characters are decent, they don't quite match the level of development seen in the main characters, resulting in a slightly lower rating. Music 6/10: While the soundtrack provides some background atmosphere, it fails to leave a lasting impression. The lack of memorable music takes away from the overall impact of the show. Sound Effects 8.5/10: The sound effects are a standout feature, earning a high score for being ear-pleasing and enhancing the emotional and competitive aspects of the anime. Enjoyment 7.5/10: Overtake! offers a decent and enjoyable experience, with moments of drama and emotion that, while not reaching the peak of enjoyment, still make it a recommended watch. Overall: (7/10): Good, I recommend it.

This review is written by 2 people; my friend's review is up top, and mine (the owner of this account's) review is at the bottom. -- Much like my previous recommendation, I picked up overtake as an act of self harm. I expected a very low budget sports anime that glazed formula 4 way too much for its own good. Somehow it was worse than that. It was mid. Unfortunately, I keep up with formula 1. And my vague interest in seeing cars go in circles makes me reach out for formula related animanga, like Capeta. Ever since I laid my eyes upon the overtake poster, I knew it wasn’t going to be very good, just look at those 3D cars. I expected a “baby’s first motorsport” anime, where the industry would be very coddled and we would be explained every single little racing term so the laymen could be, you know, mildly invested in the racing. But the show chooses to… half do that? The show has an audience surrogate who doesn’t know shit about formula, however, he is very annoying and asks things like a child would. And while, yes, there is a lot of explaining in the first episodes, they just kind of give up with the explanations halfway through. As someone who knows more than the average person about formula, it wasn’t a problem, but my watch buddy surely didn’t get much enjoyment out of the races, or out of anything else, really. While the animation and character designs are (very surprisingly) nice and distinct from other anime, with charming little touches like an emphasis of the lower lip, the cast of characters cannot sustain the show on cuteness alone. The roster is very formulaic, with the same sports anime tropes put into fireproofs. The character development that happens in the show falls flat because, honestly, I could not be bothered to give a shit about them. All of the beats are very predictable, and even those that aren’t -- like the protagonist’s traumatic past in regards to portrait photography -- didn’t grip my interest at all, because the framework of the character was just that mediocre. At least, overtake! Is honest about the motorsport industry, where money is 90% of what makes a car a winner, so a lot of the plot is about securing sponsors here and there. The show also tries to explain why people like racing, but frankly the races had such mediocre directing and narration that I didn’t feel any rush at all. They could really have used the sports commentator more. One last drop in the sea of disappointment is how girls who like formula are framed. While it is true that there’s a lot of women who like to fawn over drivers (and that isn’t a bad thing on its own) it really reduces a whole gender as not truly invested in the sport. Also, let’s be honest, there should have been at least one girl shipping the drivers. I went into overtake with very low expectations and somehow I am still disappointed. I don’t hope for a better formula anime in the future, because I think the sport is evil, but if you’re gonna do it anyways, please be better than Overtake! -- Overtake! has such charming character design and decent performances, with passable CGI and a very interesting gimmick in F4 racing. There’s just nothing else there, unfortunately. Overtake! Succeeds really only in its character designs; everyone is fun and bouncy, with unique faceshapes for the most part, at least compared to anime usually. They’re not really doing anything too fresh, though, which is a problem for everything else in the show. The plot has its interesting elements, but everything feels like its going through the motions. Stoic, but determined protagonist. Yaoibait rivals. Everything else you expect in a shounen. There’s just no spice. There’s nothing interesting for the viewer to latch onto, nothing here is done exceptionally well except maybe for the character designs. Characters don’t draw you in, and the story doesn’t take any risks, besides maybe with Madoka’s backstory---but even then, there’s nothing there that’s truly a problem for the narrative to overcome in a satisfying, interesting way. I really have nothing to say for this anime because it gave me nothing in term. It’s not like I watched four hours of a black screen, but what was shown to me really wasn’t anything to write home about. It’s all-male class doesn’t even inspire anything for the josei or fujo demographic, because of how uninteresting all the characters are. F4 gives the viewer nothing; it’s not going to interest any real fan of racing, nor is it something for the girls to enjoy. It just kind of exists. It doesn’t do anything explicitly bad, or explicitly good, it just is. And that’s not a very fun anime to watch.

There is always an opponent on the main straight who will overtake you on the turn. Never look back. Rely on driving skill, not luck. A pilot may not have a second chance. Really fast racers never make mistakes. Go too fast? You'll crash. Don't reach the limit? Your rivals will overtake you. You need to stay on the edge, not go beyond it - that's how you balance. These races, of course, are not of an international level, but the intensity sometimes goes beyond the limits of what is acceptable and expected. The title can be regarded as a good drama with friendly get-togethers, life's difficulties and the burdens of the past. The problem is solved when someone is nearby, not when the nature of the disaster comes to realization. Understand and let go. Move on, no matter what. Naturally, there is practically no time left for racing, that is, this is not the main link in the picture. First of all, the relationship between Haruki and Koya, and only then the stars for the title of the best, the runs for the title of the best runner and other aesthetic angles of the photographer. The anime is not about a racer who became No. 1. No. The work is aimed at showing how in difficult life situations in a mentally difficult state you can get out, thanks to willpower and fortitude, the support of your closest comrades and friends. The races are secondary here. Let everyone decide for themselves whether this is good or bad. The characters are adequate and pleasant, everyone knows what they want and strives for the goal. The script is consistent, without ragged episodes, does not try to aim higher and does not show how brilliant Japanese racers are, pathos in moderation. The picture is not bad, especially the animation during the race. In general, it is not so easy to make an interesting anime about Formula 4, you can take the 2001 film Racer as a basis and add Japanese specifics, but this is too difficult for a manga artist. In principle, this option is quite suitable, although it is more of a symbiosis than a full-fledged sports title. Result. Do you like racing? Definitely watch it. Do you like drama? Also worth watching. The rest can watch it, maybe they will like it. For my part, I expected more from the title and in a slightly different format.

Really enjoyed the similarities between two characters and Niki Lauda and James Hunt. The writer recreated their rivalry and the respect they had for eachother really well. The main character being outside of the sport is a great way to introduce viewers to the sport without bombarding them with information. The characters don't feel shallow, though the main action revolves mainly around a few certain places it never feels boring or repeated. Every episode manages to deliver a nice experience for the viewer. The anime is not perfect. There are many small issues like plot holes, exaggerations or various plot devices that make no sense. Great watch even if you are not into any sort of motorsports.

In the end Overtake ended up not what I originally expected it to be and ironically it was for the best. We have only just got an MF Ghost anime that clearly showed that cars go vroom without an idea isn't interesting to follow (where as in Initial D there was always an idea). Overtake takes an entirely different approach. It tells a story from an outsider's perspective who learns of F4 by chance and how both Main Characters each with his own problems came together to overcome their own ghosts (pun intended) and come on top each in their own regard. Kouya a professional photographer who gets interested in F4 by chance is dealing with ghosts of his past that haunt him preventing him from escaping the personal trauma he has. The whole sequence of his background when actually explained and shown later in the show I feel was very strong and directed on a level that you can feel personally. The way his story goes on is cruel unforgiving and sounds like something I heard about in real life. Haruka a young teenager has his own set of problems that gets resolved eventually through his bond with Kouya and some of the scenes involved were also done very nice. As a son of a racing driver he is trying to get by in F4 with the help of a team ran by a friend of his family with limited budget. I enjoyed the simple, clear and correct explanation on why is it that in Spec series one teams will dominate while others will struggle. I believe for those who have no knowledge it does a good job in this regard. As someone trying to get into autosport in the past I can vouch for the troubles they portrait they are universal. It's really one of the stories where it's believable enough to say they did it barely as a team and it felt nice as a healing story to see a good ending for a change unlike it usually is in real life. Overtake also doesn't create a false drama for the sake of it, or false unhealthy sportsmanship instead making it a more life like relationship characters have as sportsman and it translates well to actual pro racing drivers and how their relationships continue throughout their career. Overtake isn't a show about cars going around the track, but it's more about autosport than MF Ghost could hope to be. Not for everyone, but it was for me on a personal level.

Barring Frieren, this is, by far, the most surprising show of autumn 2023, maybe even 2023 as a whole. I came into this expecting just a fun show about Formula 4, which is something i'm not super into, but I wanted to give it a shot. And I'm glad I did because what I DID NOT expect was a fun show about formula 4 that is an expertly directed story that explores deep themes of PTSD, disasters, survivors guilt and how to move forward. This show was directed by Ei Aoki, who directed Re:Creators, another HIGHLY underrated anime just like this one. And he does a phenomenal job. The entire production here is really good but I have to give special props to the direction. Those races utilize the cgi to their advantage to create super dynamic camera angles that make the races really exciting to watch. Especially that last race, the way the camera moves around the race track is chef's kiss. The show follows 4 characters who all seem a bit basic in the beginning, I almost rolled my eyes at first because I knew exactly what those characters were and where they were going. But I was completely wrong, they subvert the tropes and give the characters realistic character arcs, very akin to some of my favourite shows like Haikyu. If I have to be negative about this show is that I would've liked some sort of epilogue, but this is a non issue if a season 2 comes out, which while not necessary at all, would be interesting to see where they would go if they do it. I'm feeling an 8.5/10 maybe going up to a 9

Whew boy. This was a ride. Haha, get it? A great show. I found this on MAL before it was released and slapped it onto my PTW list not thinking much of it—thought it’d just be some short, sweet, but nothing special anime I would watch as the episodes came out—but oh man was I wrong. First off, it just oozes good vibes, and the animation is actually pretty well done. Not a single moment I can think of where the animation dropped in quality. It’s an overall positive and lighthearted narrative compared to numerous others. There’s no crazy superpowers, no insane special moves that the characters do in order to win—just a good, classic underdog story. The sport is secondary to the drama and emotional journeys of the characters, something that I am totally fine with. It actually got me crying during a few episodes that had to do with our photographer character, Koya. If you are a creative person yourself, perhaps you can relate to Koya’s struggles with trying to reignite a passion he lost years ago. As somebody who considers themselves as a creative individual, Koya’s story in particular struck close, even if I have never gone through anything like his situation before. The characters are all pretty lovable—and I absolutely adore how the relationships, most notably between Haruka and Kota, truly feel like loving bonds. They have small scenes together, and I feel like it truly paid off. It’s not a ground-breaking show, it’s not insanely hype, but it brought a warmth into my chest that very few animes lately have been able to do, and perhaps that’s why I enjoyed it so much.

Man... I'm glad to have watched this anime. It is funny, great, and, most importantly, the story is amazing! It is, and I think, will be a great anime for a long time. I really loved it. The comedy aspects of the anime hits. You'll probably laugh at some jokes and scenes. I sure did! The characters are 10/10. Definitely. Some needed more story, but for now, it's 10. The characters are lovable (apart from that ONE episode...). The art is unique. I didn't really like it THAT much, but it was unique, and I applaud them for trying something unique. I appreciate it very much. I really liked this anime, maybe a season 2? I hope so.

Overtake your greatest enemy, that's you and your own fears and trauma. Overtake have an very different and unique, F4 racing, TROYCA this time choosed to use a lot of real life contents, on Re:Creators they use a lot of real life places, without using an alternative and generic name to them, and this feature made the anime get some incredible immersion and create something that could be a real life story. The narrative is very consistent, the middle of the show works a lot with the moral of the characters and the society judging them about certain past events from one of the protagonists. The background is very interesting with good explanations that can help people that don't know so much about F racings and cars, at same time can bring a good explanation to someone that know about the theme, unlike a lot of others sport animes that can't mix the reality of the real sport and a fictional story and fail with it. Only one thing that could get the anime score low was intersting to see, that's the 3D animations on the cars and how I can say, they made a nice work on this, we still can see that these cars are 3D models with anime textures, but the animation team made a amazing work with a good mix of the 2D background and the 3D models, the peak of course was on the last racing in the last episode that was perfect mixing of 2.5D enviroment and 3D models. I recommend this anime to anyone that likes F1, the roar of the machines was song to our ears.

I recently watched an older racing anime called Capeta, and since I like racing anime—as evidenced by Initial D and MF Ghost—I decided to give Overtake a try as well. I’d known about it for a while, but I didn’t want to watch it because of its drama genre. I’m not a huge F1 fan, but I actually enjoyed it, and the racing itself was fun to watch. I like original anime because they have their own distinctive art style and, at least in this case, good animation quality. The CGI animation of the cars didn’t bother me at all; in fact, I’d say it couldn’t have turned out better, and in the end, they nailed it. As for the plot, that’s where things get a bit mixed. On one hand, I liked the racing itself and enjoyed it, but on the other hand, there’s what I’d call unnecessary drama surrounding one character who has an issue with taking photos of people. I didn’t really need that part, and it seemed completely unnecessary and off-topic to me, but it wasn’t that tragic, so it was bearable. Personally, I was expecting something along the lines of a rivalry with some kind of sad backstory, but it turned out well in the end. I also shouldn’t forget to mention the OP/ED, which I also liked. In conclusion, I’d just add that as a racing anime, it’s good, even though there weren’t that many races and not enough time was devoted to them, so don’t expect a single race to be spread out over x episodes like in other anime. If you like racing anime, it’s not that bad, but personally, I’d look elsewhere where they devote more time to it.

I'm a big fan of motorsports. In this coming year, I intend to follow, to some degree of commitment or another, at least seven different racing championships. I'm a little bit obsessed. So, hearing that one of my favourite studios, Troyca, and a director as respected as Ei Aoki, were making a series based around the Formula 4 junior category, I was pretty excited. I didn't really care what the show ended up being; I barely even cared if it was good. A proper anime about single-seater racing, sign me up. I was expecting something a bit shouneny, to be honest. Big personalities, loud, dramatic, in-your-face action, a bit of quite abstract direction. Big and exciting and a little over-the-top. Something that attempted to capture a similar feeling to Netflix's Drive To Survive F1 series. What we actually got was not that. Not in the slightest, in fact. We did not get a big, over-the-top series about hotheaded racers and their high-stakes duels. Instead, 'Overtake!' is a surprisingly gentle, subtle, character-driven story, closer to the tone of a slice-of-life. It mixes in a teen coming-of-age story with a mature adult story about regrets, blending the two seamlessly through its protagonists, F4 racer Haruka and slightly oblivious former photojournalist Kouya. It's a story with a very grounded tone, clearly placing its focus on the relationship between these characters, and especially Haruka and Kouya, and it's often incredibly wholesome. There are rivals, but no antagonists, with the dynamics between the tiny Komaki Motors team and their bigger rivals being professional and full of deep respect; at the end of the day, they're all there because they love to race. It's emotional when it needs to be, giving both Haruka and Kouya some deep-seated traumas to process and work through, but doesn't cross the line of losing the verisimilitude of the story; you can see both of these people existing in real life quite easily. Of course, this is also a racing show, and as a fan of motorsport, I feel well served. It's clear that the writers on this show went to great lengths to ensure that they were portrayed an authentic vision of Formula 4, and as someone who knows a lot about those fine details, they did a near perfect job. I do feel similar watching these races as I do to watching real racing at that level; this goes for both the world-building details of the sport and the industry surrounding it, which largely rings true, and the animation, which gives the cars exactly the right feel and physicality to make it clear that authenticity was a big focus. In the end, it all comes together into exactly what it needed to be. An authentic, grounded portrayal of a wonderful area of motorsport, with incredibly easy characters to connect to and root for, and a final conclusion that isn't unpredictable, but managed to bring me to the brink of tears, purely because the goals and drives of the characters were things I came to care so much about. It isn't overly complicated, but because of that it manages to be the best version of what it is; a story about two people doing their best and improving each other's lives for the better. A wonderful experience for a motorsport fan like myself, but also an easy recommendation for anyone who just wants a neat, emotional story that will make you feel.