‘Overtake!’ review: “Overtake” reaches the finish line

The champagne is ready and all that’s left for Overtake! is to head to the podium.”Overtake” is the perfect season finale for a series that thrived on its characters. Finally, the series comes full circle with Haruka and Kouya as get to  achieve what they’ve been chasing since episode one. Additionally, the ensemble cast gets to shine in their own moments throughout “Overtake.” Overtake! does what few anime could do in a scant 12 episodes, so let’s give the writers a round of applause. 

I think I speak for all of us when I say seeing Haruka on the podium made me emotional. His growth throughout the season, both as a driver and a person, culminated with him reaching that goal of his. His drive to succeed was obvious throughout the whole season, but you could practically touch it it through the screen in “Overtake.” From the very first shot of him in the backseat at 5:00 in the morning to him overtaking Satsuki for the first driver spot, it was obvious how much he wanted it. Haruka standing on the podium, in first place no less, is the ultimate achievement for not only him, but also Komaki Motors. 

Kouya being able to photograph Haruka without so much as a second thought was the improvement I so desperately wanted to see from him — and I’m so glad that he managed to do it. “The Day of the Disaster” showed us exactly why he was affected by the earthquake so intensely. The anxiety from something so traumatizing isn’t an easy thing to get over; even though it might seem quick to the audience when we only get 30 minute insights into Kouya’s life each week. So, to see him actually able and excited to take photos of Haruka is a huge step for his character. Of course, Saeko calling him from across the stands so he could get his butt in gear was hilariously in line with their relationship. It’s another moment that reminds both Kouya and the watchers that he’s not alone in his journey, even if it might feel like he is. 

A small, but crucial moment in “Overtake” is when the racing trio meet on the track while inspecting it. They’re joking around with one another despite the rivalries that run between the the tree of them. We knew from the beginning that the relationship between Haruka and Toshi wasn’t great. Then in “Chariots of Fire” Satsuki tried his best to bridge the gap between them as best he could. This little moment with the three of them joking around shows just how far they’ve come as friends outside of the cars. It’s a really sweet scene that made me want to see more of them hanging out in the next season. 

Toshi deserves his own shoutout for the way he acts in “Overtake.” After colliding with another car, he acts a lot more mature than he did when we first meet him in “The Man Who Races.” Instead of taking it out on the other driver, he simply accepts what happens and gracefully allows Satsuki to take the top driver spot. This is a completely different Toshi than we met originally. While I do wish Toshi was able to join Haruka and Satsuki on the podium, his obvious happiness for both of them makes everything worth it. 

If I had to nitpick, the one thing I wanted to see more of this season was Haruka’s dad. While Haruka is one of the main characters and the story is partially told through his eyes, it would’ve been interesting to see flashbacks of his dad through other characters. Both Ena-san and Futoshi raced with him so they knew him well before Haruka was even born. I would have loved to see parallels and differences between the two of them, whether it had to deal with their personalities or their racing styles. 

Overtake! is one of those sleeper hits that sneaks up on you during the season, but becomes one of your favorites of the year – which only makes “Overtake” one of those finales that wraps everything up with a nice little bow. Season one came full circle, but I hope we get a season two. Watching Haruka and Kouya’s journey now that the two of them have overcome the hurdles of season one, is something I absolutely want to watch. Is this podium a one time fluke or does he end up there more than once? What does Kouya’s professional life look like now that the magazine feature is out? These are things that I hope a season two will answer. 

Overtake! is available now on Crunchyroll

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Featured image ©KADOKAWA・TROYCA/Overtake！Production committee