Overtake!, an upcoming anime produced by Kadokawa Corporation and animated by TROYCA, released a new visual on Friday adding more characters to the cast, particularly a rival team, and their respective voice actors.
The anime is a fictionalised take on the F4 Japanese Championship, with its organiser GT Association lending formal backing for the project. GT Association’s other series Super GT will also appear in the show, serving as Super GT the backdrop for advancing the plot while F4 is the primary focus.
Friday’s reveal introduces Bersoliso, a red-wearing rival team to Komaki Motors and protagonist Haruka Asahina (voiced by Anan Furuya). Bersoliso’s drivers Satsuki Harunaga and Toshiki Tokumaru are respectively voiced by Kengo Kawanishi and Taku Yashiro.
Kawanishi is perhaps best known for portraying the main character of Mobile Suit Gundam IRON-BLOODED ORPHANS, while also playing major roles in shows like Dr. Stone and appearing in the acclaimed Demon Slayer. Yashiro starred in Darwin’s Game, Domestic Girlfriend, and Tiger Mask W, while supporting positions include Kaguya-sama: Love is War and Sword Art Online: Alicization. The duo have also crossed paths prior in projects like Aldnoah.Zero, Chainsaw Man, and THE iDOLM@STER SideM.
“I had never heard of the name F4 before getting in this, so it is new to me,” said Kawanishi. “At first glance, Harunaga-kun gives the impression that he’s a flirtatious person, but he’s actually capable enough to serve as the team’s first driver, and he also has a shrewd side. We hope you will enjoy the world of F4 with us.”
Yashiro described his character as “very passionate about racing and has a deep love for competition. That’s why he sometimes clashes with people, but I think he’s basically a person who can quietly do what he should do.”
Haruka’s team Komaki Motors is led by Kotaro Komaki, who will be played by Tasuku Hatanaka. Among his roles are in My Hero Academia and Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, while also voicing supporting characters in Attack on Titan and Tokyo Revengers.
“As it is a completely original work, I don’t know the whole story of this yet, but I am excited about the human dynamics as well as the cars, which will be a very attractive project,” Hatanaka commented.
Overtake! will be the second upcoming motorsport-related anime that Hatanaka and Yashiro appear in as they voice characters in MF Ghost, a street racing series that overlaps with the beloved Initial D.
Reina Ueda voices Arisu Mitsuzawa, the lone confirmed female character so far and a race queen for Bersoliso. Ueda starred alongside Yashiro in Darwin’s Game as the lead heroine, while also being the protagonist in Wataten! and one of the main characters in SSSS.Gridman. She also has a decorated portfolio for video games like Genshin Impact and Goddess of Victory: NIKKE.
“I was very happy when I received the audition results,” Ueda stated. “When I looked into it again, ‘What kind of job is a race queen?’, I was surprised that there was more content than I had imagined.
“I hope I can enjoy the world of F4 from the same point of view as Arisu-chan, who enjoys her activities. It’s easy to understand even for those who touched F4 for the first time, and it’s a work that will naturally warm your heart. Please look forward to it!”
Katsuyuki Konishi is also involved as the deuteragonist Kōya Madoka.
The show was announced in January, though a release date has not been revealed. While MF Ghost focuses on street racing, Overtake! appears to follow more realistic circuit competition in F4. The 2024-bond HIGHSPEED Étoile also has a partnership with an existing motorsport as it is a joint project with Super Formula, though it will focus on a futuristic form of racing.
