Overtake! – Season 1 Episode 8 Recap & Review

Birds of a Feather

Overtake! Episode 8 opens with Haruka practicing as a Belsorriso driver. Ena praises his performance, but Toshiki makes passive-aggressive remarks.

The scene changes to a flashback of Haruka at Koya’s place. He receives a call from Futoshi informing him that he has managed to get in contact with Koya and informs him that Koya will be gone for a while. Koya also refuses to tell them where he is. Futoshi also informs him that Belsorriso needs a second driver. They discuss the possibilities and why it would be a good decision for his career as a whole.

The next day, they get ready for a practice round together. Tokumaru gives him a talk on how to present himself. They also give him tips on driving before he can set off. Arisu arrives at Satsuki’s room and sees him lifting weights to avoid muscle atrophy. She sees him in pain and urges him to stop.

Following that, Ena and Toshiki review Haruka’s stats and offer him advice on minimizing mistakes as a driver. At home, Koutarou misses Haruka as he spends most of his time with the Belsorriso team. Meanwhile, Ena treats Haruka to an exquisite dinner, something he is not used to. Ena reveals that he was on the same team as Haruka’s dad.

Satsuki has a discussion with Arisu, expressing his need for perfection. He seems hesitant, but Arisu motivates him to work hard and regain his confidence. Toshiki reveals footage of his and Haruka’s races and fears Haruka outskilling him. At home, Haruka has dinner with Koutarou and Futoshi. They talk about his career and how he can make advancements with the help of a professional team. Koutarou is a bit upset they can’t work together anymore.

Haruka and Toshiki meet in the restroom, and surprisingly, Toshiki is kind to him. They then practice their slipstream on the track. Toshiki is amazed by the slipstream, and Haruka also lets him overtake with ease. But following that, Haruka tries to compete with Toshiki on the track, causing Toshiki to panic under pressure.

Following the race, Toshiki yells at Haruka for doing it, but Haruka defends himself, claiming he had done the slipstream and let Toshiki overtake him as per the plan. He also claims that the extra pressure is just to help them develop better skills. Following that, Haruka visits Koya’s apartment once again and finds a business card suggesting where Koya might be at the end of Overtake! Episode 8.

The Episode Review

Overtake! Episode 8 opens with a surprise. A lot of things have changed in the last two episodes, and with Satsuki’s injury, Haruka receives a proposal to join Belsorriso. This turns out to be an amazing opportunity for him to break through the glass ceiling and race with better machines.

However, shifting teams comes with a few challenges, especially when entering a rival team. The completely messed up dynamic between Haruka and Toshiki appears to be getting rough, and the show does nothing to sugarcoat it. At the same time, Koya is in utter radio silence, and there is genuine concern about how he is doing. Full marks for the show being realistic in handling every situation.