In the Fall 2023 season, we had an interesting occurrence of two different racing series, each covering different kinds of racing, scheduled on the same day, in adjacent time slots (and I believe on different channels). One was MF Ghost, the sequel to Initial D, and the other was Overtake – a series about Formula 4 Racing. While both were about racing, the two were remarkably different.
Overtake is what I’d consider to be a more character-focused series, rather than a racing-focused series. This isn’t to say that we don’t get time spent on the actual races, and the racing scenes we get aren’t dynamic and exciting. However, the focus is on how the depictions of the race progress the story of the characters rather than the larger story of the race.
Our two main perspective characters are Madoka Koya and Haruka Asahina. Madoka is a freelance photographer who experienced a past trauma (which is developed throughout the series), that makes so he can’t take pictures of people. When his ex invites him out to take photos of a Formula 4 racing event, he’s fascinated and enthralled by the race, and he finds himself able to take a picture of a younger driver, Haruka, after the end of the race – which Haruka can’t finish due to his tires giving out, causing him to spin out.
Madoka becomes a big booster of Haruka’s racing team, Komeki Motors, and works to help them get the sponsors and help they need to succeed against their rival, better-funded teams, so Haruka can accomplish his dream of making it on the winners’ podium – and in the process, Madoka starts to cope with his trauma.
The character designs are tremendously expressive, recognizable, and interesting. The lead racers in the big rival team – Belsorriso – are well developed, sympathetic, and interesting, to the point that I could just as easily watch a series about those racers as well – especially with the character arc of himbo Satsuki Harunaga, as he deals with a major crash partway through the series, and has to go through physical therapy and his emotional trauma from that crash to return to racing.
The writing of the characters is very focused on developing the characters’ personalities and internal lives – whether it’s Madoka dealing with his PTSD, Haruka developing his skill and confidence as a racer, the other members of Komeki Motors trying to get sponsors and reaching out to the community to get the financial support they need to be competitive.
On top of all of this, they do a tremendous job of introducing Formula 4 to an audience that undoubtedly was unfamiliar with it, whether because not used to watching motorsports, or they are more familiar with other kinds of racing that are similar (like Formula 1), but otherwise have some real differences. The races themselves are presented in a way that keeps the focus on the critical points of the individual races – passing, dealing with difficult corners, etc. It lets them go through a whole season, with everything that goes with that, without the issues that MF Ghost has with spending the majority of their season on one race.
Overtake is available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
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