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Overtake is a recent anime that has made some waves because of how it portrays the Japanese F4 Championship and the nature of racing, which is something that a lot of people have found quite exciting. Of course, this is intrinsic to the nature of racing: the speed, the adrenaline, and the sheer excitement of competing make this sport something that fans tend to enjoy.
In that regard, Overtake is far from being the first anime to tackle racing, and the industry has produced some real gems over the years. Some focus more on the races, others are more character-centric, but they are all very enjoyable and deserve a lot more recognition.
It's also worth pointing out that the anime on this list are in no particular order.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for all the series on this list.
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Redline, Capeta, and 6 other anime series for fans of Overtake
1. Initial D
Overtake has been making waves in the last few weeks as a very prominent racing anime but Initial D is widely considered the genre's peak. The manga started in the mid-90s and carried on with a whopping 48 volumes, covering and telling the adventures of Takumi Fujiwara.
Takumi starts in illegal car racing and that is the focus of the story at first, exploring a lot of different cars, how they work, and what makes every driver tick. There is a strong evolution as the series progresses and Takumi's journey is something to behold.
2. Redline
Redline is a sad story when considering all the effort, money, and time Madhouse Studio invested in this project. It was a film that came out in the late 2000s and has some of the best animation in the history of the medium. It is a shame that it was a commercial failure, although it has become a cult favorite.
The story is quite simple: it is a futuristic world where people race without any major rule and the participants can straight-up die in the competition. JP is the protagonist, one of the only two human racers in the competition, and is very determined to become the best in the industry, which, of course, leads to a lot of challenges and adventure.
This is basically the racing that people can see in Overtake but on steroids, which is always fun.
3. Appare-Ranman
Overtake is a classic series in terms of how it portrays racing in the FA Championship but Appare-Ranman goes one step further by establishing a story that shows a lot of cultural differences.
Basically, the story takes place in the Meiji Era of Japan but the main character, due to events in the series, winds up on American soil. Eventually, the protagonist, Appare Sorano, has to participate in the "Trans-America Wild Race", where he has to build a car and compete in order to make the money to bring him back home.
4. Future GPX Cyber Formula
Overtake is a series that shows the competitive side of racing in the professional world but this anime goes one step further and adds a lot of futuristic elements. Hayato Kazami is a young man who is accidentally signed into a competition that is pretty much a futuristic version of Formula 1.
The original anime came out in the early 90s and it can be considered a classic of the medium as it was one of the first series to explore racing. It is fun, it has a great message of overcoming the odds, and it has a lot of great moments.
5. Capeta
In Capeta, the main character, Kappeita Taira (also known as Capeta), ages throughout the series. It is fun to see him develop a love and passion for go-karts, and then slowly build his way into the professional world, which is something that becomes quite endearing to a lot of fans.
Much like Overtake, it is set in the real world and the progression is quite straightforward in terms of characterization. It doesn't reinvent the wheel but is a fun watch from beginning to end.
6. MF Ghost
In many ways, this series could be considered Overtake's competition in the market since they both came out this year and are currently having their respective seasons. However, MF Ghost is the direct sequel to Initial D, which gives this series a level of interest that perhaps very few racing anime have at the moment.
The story takes place in the near future and protagonist Kanata Katagiri has the dream of becoming a champion at racing. The biggest selling point is that Kanata has been trained and guided by Takumi Fujiwara, the protagonist of the Initial D series (even though Takima doesn't show up in the entire sequel).
7. Nasu: A Migratory Bird With Suitcase
Nasu is an underrated gem from the Madhouse catalog and is a film that deserves a lot more credit and recognition. Sure, it may not involve cars like Overtake but is definitely a racing anime, albeit one with a much more sentimental focus than many on this list.
This is a team of cyclists known as the Team Pao Pao Beer and they want to win the Japan Cup since this is probably the last time they are ever going to race together. The opportunity of competing for one last time allows them to look back on their past, the ups and the downs, and ends up being a very poignant affair.
8. Wangan Midnight
Wangan Midnight is another classic of the racing manga variation, with the series having started in the early 90s and running for almost two decades. The anime adaptation by A.C.G.T. in the mid-2000s had a short run of 26 episodes but still managed to have a strong following.
The story focuses on illegal car racing, which was inspired by the events of Tokyo's Shuto Expressway, which is subject to a lot of events of that nature. Akio, the main protagonist, eventually finds a car to use for those races but turns out that the vehicle always ends up in accidents because of how much it has been modified. This, however, starts Akio's journey.
Final thoughts
Overtake has been making waves recently, and the great thing for fans is that there is much more to consume in the racing genre.
