by Joseph Davis, Contributing Writer
As an American, I’m relatively new to the world of motorsports outside the ones here in the states (NASCAR and INDYCAR, to be precise). However, I’ve grown to heavily enjoy watching the likes of Formula 1, along with the occasional F2, Japanese Super Formula, or Moto GP races. Even still, the series I focused on for this installment of Out of Market does not focus on these sections of Motorsport, but instead farther down the ladder into the realms of the Japanese Formula 4 championship. The anime series Overtake! Follows two main characters: freelance photographer, Kôya Madoka (voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi), and young driver, Haruka Asahina (Anna Furuya), as they both find their footing in their own ways through the Formula 4 season. So let’s get to the track and get to the start line for the year.
First off, I want to praise the people who made this show for actually doing the legwork. This is for multiple reasons, most notably because when the show has racing scenes, there is genuine excitement, as it feels real. Don’t get me wrong, this is still animated and has some moments that defy reality, but those are kept outside of the racing scenes, and are more related to character moments. Because of this, the show keeps itself grounded in a way that makes it all the more special, and allows for the emotional moments to hit all the harder. That, and when there is an action, such as a tire blowout or contact, you can just feel the moment itself, without needing its importance explained. It also helps that while the show does mention the likes of world champion F1 drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt, it also mention the likes of Coloni, who had a brief and unsuccessful attempt at Formula 1 in the ‘80s and ‘90s, with each reference to the top level of the sport fitting perfectly into the narrative.
Next, I want to talk about the decision to go with Formula 4 as the setting. It would have been easy to set the show in Super Formula, with it being a bigger name and having more global eyes on it, but I think having it be Formula 4 is brilliant. It gives you a great feel for how the teams and the drivers are people who are, in many ways, just starting their racing careers, something that would be lost if the series was set in a higher level of racing. It also allows the characters to be built up more. For example, while we focus on Haruka and his drive with privateer team, Komaki Motors, we also get a view of a team called Belsorriso and their drivers, Satsuki Harunaga (Kengo Kawanishi) and Toshiki Tokumaru (Taku Yashiro), with all three drivers being made clear as youngsters hoping to prove themselves. The fact we learn that Toshiki is implied to be the oldest of the three is important, if only to keep in mind that for him, time is running out if he wants to move up to Formula 3 or further (keep in mind that currently the youngest F1 drivers are in their early 20s). This makes you understand the urgency of characters who aren’t even effectively out of high school yet.
Speaking of the characters, the idea of the series focusing on both a driver and a photographer on the outside seems a bit surprising, but as you get into the series, it begins to make more and more sense. It gives the audience a character who they can use as a channel to learn the sport, and help explain the rules and costs of Formula 4. It also gives the different storylines a better way to grow and develop. In some ways, it’s characters who realize that the way they are driving, or how they view their situation is wrong, while in others, it’s overcoming more than just the odds at play. Also, for one major portion of the story, it’s about overcoming inner demons and trauma from a past event that continues to haunt the character. How this show handles each of them is fantastic, because the character growth comes off as authentic and real each time. Most of the time these moments of character depth aren’t even explained, as you have just a specific moment where a character reacts and you immediately know that they’re having a moment.
Ultimately, this series is one of important moments. There are obviously points that show what happens before and after, but it understands that for each episode, it has its specific moment it wants to capture, almost as if taking a photograph. Moments of joy, heartbreak, fear, and pure elation are displayed in this series, and each one builds onto the last in a way that draws the emotions out as if you were living them. Each of the characters and each of the moments have something not only to teach to each other but also to us as the audience, and that’s something I find beautiful.
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