Overtake!, an anime covering a fictionalised F4 Japanese Championship and Super GT, will air its first episode on 1 October. The pilot was screened at the Super GT round at Suzuka Circuit on 26 August.
The anime was revealed in January, the product of a collaboration between Kadokawa Corporation, studio TROYCA, and the GT Association that oversees both championships. Directed by Ei Aoki, it will be TROYCA’s first sports series with much of the staff from its debut work Aldnoah.Zero returning.
Anan Furuya and Katsuyuki Konishi respectively portray the two main characters Haruka Asahina and Kōya Madoka. Additional cast members were announced in March, followed by Kenta Sasa (Toru Komaki) and Masayuki Katō (Michinori Shosei) in August. Sasa has mainly voiced supporting characters in series such as Interviews with Monster Girls, GATE, and Aldnoah.Zero, while Katō’s most prominent role is as Demiurge in Overlord.
Kanae, a Virtual YouTuber for the NIJISANJI Project, performs the opening theme “Tailwind”. A trailer featuring the song, along with a new visual (see featured image) was released in late August.
The new trailer provides additional paddock chatter between the aforementioned cast along with shots of an F4 race at Mobility Resort Motegi (formerly and better known as Twin Ring Motegi), which hosts the season finales for F4 and Super GT. Motegi is the second track featured after Fuji Speedway was shown in the initial teaser in January.
“I haven’t seen the anime yet, but I’m really looking forward to seeing it. Please watch it with me,” said Kanae. “The opening theme song ‘Tailwind’ is a song that encourages people who are working hard, so I’d be happy if you loved it as much as I did.”
The show will be televised in Japan on The series will broadcast in Japan on AT-X, BS11, Sun TV, TOKYO MX, and TV Aichi. Iwate Asahi Television, KBS Kyoto, and Shizuoka Broadcasting System will also air it starting 2 October.
Coincidentally, Overtake! is one of two racing anime premiering in October as MF Ghost—an adaptation of the street racing manga by the same name—airs its pilot on 2 October. HIGHSPEED Étoile, a futuristic racing show that has a partnership with Super Formula, is slated for release in 2024.
