Overtake! Episode 6 Review

Haruka’s Best Qualifying

Overtake! Episode 6 featured one of my favorite tracks, Suzuka Circuit. Suzuka and the Bahrain International Circuit are my two favorites. They’re both good tracks. But, what makes Suzuka extra special is how it has a figure-eight shape.

As far as I know, Suzuka is the only grade 1 track that crosses over itself. That’s like Mario Kart stuff. But, unfortunately, this episode didn’t talk much about the track. They mentioned the race was at Suzuka and we saw it was at Suzuka. However, there wasn’t anything else said about the track.

This might be my biggest complaint about the series. So far, we’ve seen races at both Fuji and Suzuka, two famous tracks. And we know that this series takes place in our reality. We know that because Satsuki mentioned Hunt and Lauda. So, why isn’t anything being said about the tracks?

It would have been cool if Komaki told Madoka about how Formula 1 currently races at Suzuka. Madoka probably would have made a big deal about how Haruka’s racing on the same track as Formula 1 drivers. And, something like that could lead to Madoka asking Haruka how far he intends to go.

Does Haruka see himself being in F4 for the entirety of his career? Does he dream of making it into Formula 1 someday? We know he wants to win a race. And in this episode, he achieved his best qualifying yet. So, he’s getting closer to that goal.

But, surely, he has a longer-term goal, right? Maybe he doesn’t. But, even if that’s the case, I’d like the series to explore that. It could be that Haruka wants to win in F4 like his father and that’s it. He might not view racing as his career.

Suzuka, Rain

After qualifying, but before the race, it began raining at Suzuka. Rain isn’t a huge deal. It’s definitely more dangerous as there’s less grip and visibility. But, wet weather tires make it so the cars aren’t sliding around like they’re on ice.

Still, it’s understandable why Madoka wouldn’t want Haruka to take part in the race. He only recently learned that Haruka’s father died in a crash in the rain. And, considering Madoka’s own water-based trauma, this is something he feels strongly about.

There’s also something else that could have been mentioned in this episode. The last fatal F1 crash took place at Suzuka in the rain in 2014. Madoka could have brought that up after discovering it when doing research. But, that didn’t happen. And, it’s not like it really would have made a difference, anyway.

Racing drivers understand the risks they’re taking. They know getting in the car is dangerous. And they know getting in the car in the rain is more dangerous. But, the potential danger isn’t going to stop them from getting behind the wheel. Time and again, we even see drivers return to racing after surviving horrific crashes.

Just look at Niki Lauda. His fiery crash at the Nürburgring almost killed him. And yet, he was back in the car only 42 days later. That’s the kind of mindset Madoka is going up against when he tells Haruka not to race.

Now, in the end, Haruka chose to retire from the race. Once he was in the car and experiencing the conditions, he could make an informed choice. Before that, though, there was no way he wasn’t going to start the race. He’ll never know how far he could go if he doesn’t try.

Formula 4 Bumper Cars

Maybe I’m nitpicking here. But, the crash physics in Episode 6 broke my immersion. It was like they were driving bumper cars around Suzuka instead of Formula 4 cars. There’s no way Formula 4 cars would still be in one piece after crashes like those we saw in this episode.

Sure, the monocoque would (probably) be in one piece. But the rest of Satsuki’s car would be strewn across the track. Without going back to rewatch the crash, I don’t believe any of his wheels even came off. That’s very unrealistic.

However, I shouldn’t be too critical. I understand that the animation studio has limitations. Simulating a realistic crash isn’t viable. But, that doesn’t mean Satsuki’s crash seen couldn’t have been done better. They could have drawn attention away from the crash by using a different camera angle. Or, they could have only shown the aftermath.

This isn’t an issue specific to Overtake! There are many anime that would benefit from this kind of reframing. If something doesn’t look good, hide it. There’s no reason to put less-than-stellar CGI front and center. Treat it like a horror movie without a budget that hides the monster from viewers.

Did we need to see Satsuki’s crash happen in real time for it to be impactful? No. The impactfulness of his crash was set up earlier in the episode. It was set up when Madoka confronted Haruka about taking part in the race.

And if you need further proof, look at Haruka’s father’s crash. The first time we saw that crash, we only saw the aftermath. The crash itself wasn’t what made it emotional. It was everything else surrounding the situation.

But, if we’re lucky, there won’t be another scene like this in the series.

Final Thoughts

What do you think of Overtake! Episode 6? Do you wish the series talked more about the circuits and their history? Were you expecting Haruka to take part in the race? And, how do you feel about Satsuki’s crash? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 7 is available now.