It’s good to be back to Overtake! This time, the anime feels like it smooths things down for us. I say this is a much-needed filler episode. The last episode was just too intense with the traumatic flashbacks.

The 10th episode picks up directly from what episode 9 left off. Koya’s tragic backstory is saddening, and honestly, I didn’t expect an anime with a racing flavor to crunch my heart like this. However, that’s not all the anime has left for us.

Episode 8 told us about Haruka’s dilemma. Haruka could make a George Russel move by accepting Belsorriso’s offer. However, it means he would be leaving Komaki Motors. In my opinion, his decision in this episode is very touching. Although, it might be not the right one professionally speaking.

Haruka Stays With Komaki Motors!

Yup! You read it right, Haruka decides to stay with Komaki Motors. I first thought the story would make a driver swap. I wonder what would happen if Belsorriso mercilessly replaced Satsuki with Haruka, and then Satsuki starts his revenge arc, that would be interesting.

However, the anime decides to wait for Satsuki’s recovery and put a replacement second driver for Toshiki to partner with. In fact, there is something I didn’t expect either that happens to Toshiki. I remember the first time he took the first driver role, it kind of overwhelmed him.

I thought, with Haruka’s decision to keep his status as Komaki Motors’ driver, Toshiki would feel relieved because he didn’t have to drive in front of a person who had never done teamwork on racing tracks. But, apparently, he spirals down into his Debbie Downer mood even more.

Why Haruka Dismissed Belsorriso’s Offer

In any case, what shook me the most was Haruka’s reason why he didn’t leave for Belsorriso. Haruka says he doesn’t want to be a professional driver. Wait, I thought he got, at minimum, a slither of inspiration from his father. Although he doesn’t dismiss the possibility of him changing his mind, Haruka’s reasoning turns out to be more personal.

After tasting Belsorriso’s might and seeing what they can do with their financial advantages, Haruka thinks that, of course, he can coast to the top easily with what Belsorriso can provide. But, he prefers to take the podium with his skills in the play for most of the part.

It’s an interesting take, I think. Yes, his train of thought gives the impression of a shonen protagonist, but I can understand that he wants to relive the moment his father lifted him up on the podium with his strength.

Koya And Sae, A Different Take On Romance In Anime

Let’s take a step aside from the racing for a little bit. Most anime shows a romantic journey in the making, including Overtake! with Aris and Satsuki, though. But, Overtake! also gives a glimpse of how a relationship between a divorced couple can take directions, which is very uncommon in anime, I think.

From the very beginning of this anime, it’s established that Koya has an ex-wife, Sae. He sometimes gets photography jobs from her. Although she is not a major character, she has a big impact on our main protagonists, Haruka and Koya. She was the one who first told Haruka about Koya’s problem with taking portraits. She also always supports Koya throughout the anime.

Sae’s Maturity Is So Rare In Anime

I think she is a very mature and well-written side character. Watching from the perspective of a young, unmarried guy, I was a bit surprised to see her relationship with Koya. Even though their relationship has ended romantically and legally, she still shows a great deal of care for her ex-husband.

Based on today’s consensus on how divorced and separated couples are viewed these days, especially in the online world, it’s easy to get a skewed image of how we should handle an ended relationship. Seeing how Koya and Sae interact with each other gives me a picture of how to handle a broken romance maturely.

Koya always appreciates his ex-wife’s help, while Sae recognizes Koya’s trouble, and never turns her back on him. Even though they are not married anymore, I still can see that they want each other to not get eaten by challenges in life. However, there are bits of Koya’s personality that make Sae seems to want to slap her forehead.

Sae Still Cares Deeply About Koya

Her concern for her ex-husband still runs deep, though. Haruka apparently told Sae about Koya’s real trauma. This whole time, she thought it was the public outrage that broke Koya, but it actually was Momo’s tragic death.

I like how she expresses her genuine realization to Koya, how she shows that she learned something new about her ex-husband, and her regret that perhaps she could’ve done more about it in the past.

Their whole dynamic is very interesting to me, it’s very adultlike. What is more surprising to me is that the anime never once showed them yelling at each other.

A Change Of Pace Among Romance Anime Cliches

I don’t recall the anime putting more details on their divorce, but it seems they went their separate ways in a very mature way, or maybe the anime is saving more of Koya and Sae’s story for future episodes. In any case, I think more anime should portray collected and level-headed relationships like theirs, even if the romance is already over.

No matter how good a romance in anime is, sometimes I can’t help but notice there are some overly saturated tropes and plotlines. How often do you see tsunderes, kawaii first meeting, or the girl punching the guy for accidentally bumping into her? Those are common cliches in anime, right? I think the market for grounded and sensible couples in anime is still fresh to explore.

Haruka’s Rough Start And The Race

Now, let’s look at the racing part, shall we? This time, it’s the Suzuka circuit that will be the background for Haruka and Toshiki’s showdown. With Haruka back in Komaki Motors’ car, it’s an uphill battle for him. He only manages to catch 14th place for the starting grid. So, he has to overtake thirteen other cars to get a win.

On the other hand, Toshiki and the other Belsorriso driver, Yuita, are way ahead. Before the race, Toshiki had given Yuita the green light to drive to all his heart’s content, even if technically Yuita is the second driver. When the race starts, Toshiki gives his first place to Yuita, giving away the pressure of being the leader of a race.

Way back among other racers, Haruka takes as many opportunities as he can. In a short time, he manages to climb up his position and is now not far from the Belsorriso cars. Well, it’s now obvious to Toshiki that Yuita can’t handle the pressure. On top of that, Yuita is incredibly slow compared to him. One thing leads to another, Yuita loses control and skids, with Toshiki who is quick to take the first place again.

Why Can’t Haruka Get A Win? Come On!

This is where Haruka starts to threaten Toshiki’s dominance in this race. He is now in second place and is close to snatching the victory. But, alas, his tires give up, possibly because of how aggressively he drives this entire race.

Tire management is a crucial thing in any race. The rubbers will heat up and cool down depending on how fierce a driver wants his car to be. But, the more aggressive a driver is, the more the cost he must pay in terms of tire consistency.

You’d think Haruka deserves, at the very least, the third place at this point. But, he just has to settle with what he gets in this episode. Maybe, this is the anime’s way to get more tension and the itch of seeing Haruka standing on the podium. Well, that actually works to me at least. But, I’ll be mad if by the end of the anime Haruka still hasn’t taste a single sweet victory.