“All I know is that when we cheer for people, we’re not doing it for them. We’re doing it for ourselves.”

Anime-original sports series have a bit of a stigma in my mind. Shows like Birdie Wing and SK8 favored ridiculous antics over the more grounded approach I prefer, so I recall going into Overtake! with a degree of trepidation. If there is a central irony to the Fall 2023 Anime Season, it is that I felt, at the beginning, that it was a relatively weak season overall, with few standout series catching my eye. Now that I’m looking back on it at the end, I’m impressed by the extent to which that assessment fell short, and a big part of that was Overtake! proving it didn’t merely have the chops to be a decent sports series, but a legitimately great one. With strong character writing, kinetic driving sequences, and a crisp art style, this was a delight to follow each week. Furthermore, in classic shonen sports-anime style, Overtake! went up against a legacy competitor in an obscure genre, but against all odds accomplished victory by being the more enjoyable and competent show to watch.

Overtake! follows two leads. The first is teenager Haruka Asahina, a Formula 4 driver for an underfunded team. Formula 4 is the amateur division of Formula Racing, but it is still a costly pastime to take part in. Despite being quiet and moody, Haruka is a capable driver, but limits to both his experience and equipment prevent him from thriving in the sport. However, his encounter with our other protagonist, Kouya Madoka, marks a turn in both their fortunes. Kouya is a freelance photographer who has found himself unable to take portrait photographs without experiencing panic attacks. When he comes across Haruka, Kouya finds an artistic muse due to the drive and passion that Haruka displays even in defeat. What really ties these two characters together is a sense of trauma, and the show handles the related subject matter effectively and tactfully. Haruka’s trauma is presented early on, and the backstory is laid out for the viewer, as it plays a key role in his motivations. Kouya is another matter entirely, and I’m not going to spoil anything, but the implementation of his backstory and the gradual reveal of the varying layers to it left me in awe. For the first few episodes, I was concerned that the reveal of his trauma would leave his anxiety and stress feeling overblown and melodramatic. As such, when the revelations started to unfold, the first thing I did was proclaim how wrong I was. The show isn’t devoid of melodrama, but it feels earned and tactfully implemented.

It’s not just our leads that are well defined, though. The cast isn’t huge, but there are a decent number of characters to establish, and there is always a sense that they exist as fully formed characters. As I watched the finale, I was amused to realize the extent to which that episode serves as both a climax for the show, but also a victory lap (Okay, this one wasn’t intentional. I’d already typed it before the pun hit me) for the characters as they start to move forward. It can be almost jarring to realize how invested you were in whether the drivers for the rival team could work past their issues, or whether the wacky mechanic, Kotarou, could tap into his actual emotions and be honest with those around him. It made for a shockingly complete series that left me feeling both fulfilled and satisfied. The only downside is that the final episode can feel a bit frenetic in its attempts to tie up all its loose ends. It wasn’t anything extreme, but there was a sense that extending the episode by roughly 3 minutes, or so, would have elevated it just a smidgen higher. More notably, I’ve been jokingly poking fun at MF Ghost for being the weaker series, because it is, but there is one aspect where I think it outperforms Overtake!. Overtake! feels like a drama first, and a sports series second, while MF Ghost was more centered around its sporting event, with the rest of the drama coming across as peripheral distractions. There isn’t a right or wrong approach here, but for people who want to dive into the technical elements of Formula racing, this might be a slight hit against the show.

Troyca deserves ample credit for the visual quality, as their production further elevated the show. The character animation is fluid and expressive. I know I keep comparing this show to MF Ghost, which isn’t fair, as both shows should be analyzed on their own merits, but it provides a unique contrast. Where Felix Film’s designs were generally a bit stiff and passive, the characters of Overtake! appear as if they are about to jump out of the screen with their energy. The aesthetics aren’t perfect; the rival team’s grid girls have outfits that involve jackets that they’re only half wearing, and I don’t even mean that in an innuendo kind of way. Still, my complaints largely come down to nitpicking. Though while I’m nitpicking, I should acknowledge that Overtake!’s soundtrack, while good, doesn’t have the identity that MF Ghost’s does. There I go comparing again. I like both the OP and ED, but if you played them for me in a year, I don’t think I could identify the show unless I had the visuals to accompany them. The CG on the cars is good, but I feel it can’t keep up with the quality of the traditional animation. It’s that traditional animation that cements the show’s visuals as above average, and serves as the perfect accompaniment to stellar character writing.

Before I wrap up, a few Notes and Nitpicks:

• I highly doubt this series will continue onward. It’s hard to envision the show having a second season. It isn’t impossible, but it would be difficult to expand on such a complete story. If such a thing were to happen, it would probably require a complete shift in focus and a new set of characters.
• There are two shows from this season where I’m torn on my rating, and this is definitely one of them. I think the high production quality will push it into a 9 out of 10 for me, but the other show might fall short for the inverse reason.
• I want to add that my weak assessment of the season early on was a least partially due to me skipping out on some of the big titles like Shangri-La Frontier (I hope to get to it) and The Apothecary Diaries starting late (It’s great).

The best sports anime double as character studies of their cast, presenting how they are shaped by and react to adversity and conflict. Overtake! appears to understand this intimately, and offers a truly impactful story of perseverance and overcoming trauma. This is a firm recommendation to anyone with the slightest affinity for sports anime, and honestly, to anyone willing to give it a chance.

Score: 4.5/5