Who will be the first to cross the finish line?
Summary:
- Overtake! and MF Ghost are new titles for the fall season.
- Overtake! is better than MF Ghost in terms of plot.
- The animation is done on a high level in both series.
The variety of sports anime is amazing. There are popular sports like soccer, basketball or volleyball as well as traditional Japanese sports. You can find at least one title for every discipline. Of course, anime about racing is no longer a surprise. Even this season, two series are being released. One comes from the small studio TROYCA, the other from the equally modest studio Felix Film. Each has its own unique idea and a number of distinctive features. However, both receive relatively similar reviews. But which anime captures the atmosphere of racing better?
Not just about racing
Surprisingly, it's not all about racing! However, racing triggers the plot. Overtake! is about a failed photographer, Kouya, who has lost the will to work due to a tragedy, and a young racer, Haruka, whose father died during a race. Both characters have tragic fates and find solace in F4 racing (special races for the young age group). The man is inspired by the boy's determination, and the boy finds in the photographer not only a friend but also a symbolic father who supports and cares for him.
MF Ghost is a less sentimental story. Although here the protagonist is also trying to find his father. But his father is alive, and to get his attention Kanata decides to become a famous MFG racer (not a real race). Unlike Haruka, Kanata is very trained and develops less as the story progresses. Notably, MF Ghost is a sequel to the popular anime Initial D, and Kanata is a capable student of Takumi Fujiwara (the main character of Initial D).
Who did it better?
Overtake! is far superior to MF Ghost in terms of plot. It's a well-crafted sports drama that grabs your attention from the first episode. Despite the fact that MF Ghost continues the story of Initial D, only the names of the main characters are taken from the popular anime. Characters are revealed very slowly and the plot as well. Perhaps the biggest complaint about MF Ghost is slow pacing. Now 9 episodes have been released and the first major race has just ended.
The main characters of Overtake! form a unique bond. The dreamy and naive Haruka is shadowed by the experienced Kouya. There are simply no characters in MF Ghost whose stories are so compelling. Even the main hero Kanata doesn't change much. He initially has good skills and simply goes for his goal, gaining a new victory. Haruka is also a capable racer, but he is plagued by doubts. He is afraid of repeating his father's fate, and at the same time he wants to succeed. Kouya's story is no less interesting and adds a new dimension to the plot.
However, MF Ghost looks more realistic. The races animation is done on a high level with 3D elements in both series. But in MF Ghost the races look more varied. The environment changes and the cars are better designed. Maybe the connection to Initial D played a big role here. The races in Overtake! are given less time. Firstly, it is a drama and then an anime about racing. MF Ghost will be more appealing to fans of epic driving.