The reality of formula racing is not always as flashy as the championship titles or the cheers from the fans. Behind every driver, there are untold stories that shaped and molded them into the person they are now. Whether it is a long list of failure or a tragic past, these experiences are the reason every driver the way they are.

This episode uncovers the background stories of Koya and Haruka. Turns out, both of them are haunted by their past. Koya couldn’t take portraits after an incident in his life. As a photographer, it led him to exclusively take pictures of non-living objects. Meanwhile, Haruka is the son of a famous formula racer in the past. However, life took an unexpected turn that changed his family forever.

That Darn Photo

This episode starts with a commercial starring Haruka as its brand ambassador. Unfortunately for him, and Koya, the ad ends with the photo of Haruka crying. Of course, Haruka is understandably upset and he blames Koya for taking the photo.

Despite apologizing over and over like a broken radio, Koya still hasn’t won Haruka’s heart back. However, it only gets worse for the relationship between the two. Throughout the day, everyone keeps reminding Haruka of his loses, although unintentionally. Even worse, he later bumps into Belsorisso’s driver, Satsuki Harunaga.

Feels Bad Man

Satsuki is either a shoutout for the Kuukiyomi game or he is just an unaware narcissist. Satsuki, despite his cheerful personality, always mentions Haruka’s incredible crying in the commercial. He even says that Haruka’s expression can only come from someone who loses, unlike himself who always wins. To rub salt on the wound, Satsuki also brags that his own commercial will revolve around his victories.

While Haruka getting pierced by the words “lost” is a great comedic gag, it is hard not to feel bad for the guy. This driver hails from a small private team which only recently got their first sponsor. Meanwhile, they have to race against various teams with more funding.

However, Haruka does promise a bright future. Even with limited resources, he managed to finish at fourth place, a great achievement considering the circumstances he is in. But, this gag eventually ticks off Haruka, leading him to block Koya on his phone.

Koya’s And Haruka’s Bitter Past

The untold trauma that prevent Koya from taking pictures of people finally uncovers itself. One time, he went to a site that suffered from a recent earthquake. He took pictures and helped the refugees. One of his photos made into a gallery, it was a picture of a victim of a tsunami caused by the earthquake.

However, that picture eventually got him into trouble. The internet mercilessly “cancel” him for taking it, saying it was disrespectful for the dead. Ever since, he wasn’t keen on photographing anything that involves a person. But, everything changes when he saw Haruka cried in the first episode. His hands took his camera as if it moved on its on, and thus Haruka’s photo was born.

On the other hand, this episode also tell show Haruka got his cold and distant personality. His father also competed in formula racing. As a good son, Haruka always supported his father. Every time the father leave for a race, Haruka would say good luck with a smile on his little face. However, life is unexpected and racing is a business with serious risks. Haruka’s father got into a fatal accident that costed his life. His car lost traction in the rainy weather and sent him into a crash, leaving the car in inferno.

Haruka still blames himself for his father’s accident. Haruka thinks because of his father wanted to make his son proud, he pushed himself too hard on the race. Nevertheless, Haruka knowing that Koya also had a past he doesn’t want to talk about makes him empathize with Koya and eventually strengthen their bond.

Death Always Lingers In Formula Racing

One of the highlight of this episode is Haruka’s father’s tragic death. In formula racing, safety measures have been the number one priority, and it is consistently going under scrutiny and improvement. However, there is never a complete guarantee that all drivers will make it alive at the end of every race. Going in a super speed for an extended period of time is always high-risk high-reward business no matter what is the case.

Haruka’s father’s tragedy is uncannily similar to what Romain Grosjean went through in 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. The start of the race was intense with cars so close to each other. Grosjean’s Haas car slammed into the barrier and his car ripped into two. Grosjean was stuck inside the front-half, trapped and surrounded by fire. Miraculously, he kept his composure and successfully escaped the predicament.

To this day, Grosjean’s crash might be one of the most terrifying incident in F1. Thanks to the halo and swift response by the marshals, Grosjean only suffered a few burns on his hands despite the horrifying accident. However, not everyone in the F1 history is as lucky as Grosjean. Many race legends and shining rookies alike got into fatal accidents, but unfortunately those accidents will forever be a dark history in F1.

A Promise For The Future

At the end of the episode, Haruka takes Koya to visit the grave of his father. Haruka expresses that he feels he always pressured his father which later became his biggest regret. However, he still dreams of making his father proud, to stand on the podium after winning a race.

Haruka says in front of his father’s grave that Koya will be the one who is taking the picture of him on the podium. Likewise, Koya promises to be there when Haruka finally wins a race. This heartwarming part of the episode shows how Haruka’s perception changed after he knows of Koya’s backstory. His previous self was skeptical and constantly pushed Koya away. However, he has grown to open up to Koya, letting Koya know that he now understand Koya is supporting him wholeheartedly.

On the other hand, it is now clear that Koya has found a new passion in F4 racing. Haruka has reminded him of what it’s like to give the best effort. And because of his meeting with Haruka, Koya once again is willing to take photos of people.

This episode is a really sweet story of the two’s developing characters. Haruka finally opens up to Koya, and Koya finds himself a new spirit in life. Despite being a racing anime, the story surrounding the characters in Overtake! is definitely not overlooked. If you think about it, the premise is simple. A jaded photographer meets a cold-hearted F4 racing rookie. However, so far the anime has brought a perfect balance between racing actions and the wholesome story between Haruka and Koya.