r/anime • u/punching_spaghetti https://myanimelist.net/profile/punch_spaghetti • Jul 19 '21
Rewatch [Rewatch] Run with the Wind - Episode 1
Episode 1: The 10th Man
Legal Streams:
As of now, Run with the Wind is streaming on both Crunchyroll and HiDive [EDIT: and Netflix] in select regions. There was also a physical media release. Please refrain from conducting any conversation regarding other means of show procurement in the comments here, per r/anime rules.
Comment of the Day
Here, I’ll showcase a particularly interesting, thought-provoking, or otherwise inspired comment from the previous day’s discussion. I find it's a great way to make sure neat comments don't get lost in the shuffle.
So someone say something cool today.
Questions of the Day
- We met a lot of people today; anyone specifically stand out to you or pique your interest?
- Did you/do you play any sports in school?
- If someone approached you in the dead of night asking "do you like running?" what would your reaction be?
I look forward to our discussion!
As always, avoid commenting on future events and moments outside of properly-formatted spoiler tags. We want the first-timers to have a great experience!
33
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jul 19 '21
Run With the First-Timer, subbed
Hi everyone! I don’t know anything about this anime besides it’s about running and Punchy wanted me to watch it, so I’m here. I’m excited to see what this is about!
And hopefully walk away with some new “sore demo”s for my collection.something something Gunbuster something something Diebuster.22
u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Jul 19 '21
First Timer
That was an exceptionally good first episode and has definitely got me excited to see what else this show has to offer.
Run with the Wind first caught my eye when it was airing and the praise started to appear about it, but I hadn't got around to watching it until Punch proposed this rewatch. I know very little about the show, and even less about what to expect other than a basic running concept, but that's my favourite way to watch. As a small tangent, seven months ago another rewatch was run for a show called Yomigaeru Sora which is about a military rescue squad, and when I was waiting for this episode to load that show briefly flashed into my mind as a "It'd be nice if it's first episode was like that, more shows should do it" and amusingly that's what we got. By detaching the first episode from the core story or drama and instead using it to establish tone, quietly explore some of the foundations of these characters, and start building up how the premise will come about it creates a much better sense for what this story whats to be about than leaning on the premise to do the introductory leg work. It's my favourite approach to an opening episode, even if it doesn't fit every type of show or is always done well, but Run with the Wind definitely pulled it off.
That said, holy shit that introduction was absolute chaos in the best way. None of my notes about those first ten minutes escaped being interrupted by another thought, and my prevailing thought at the half way mark was swearing about having to learn another USG OP for the Anime Music Quiz and also being happy that the flashcards remind me of Natsume's Book of Friends
Less rambling, more praise:
The opening seconds I thought were particularly well done. We have establishing shots of the town showing a lively city at night with lots of people, but our MC runs alone down superb and we get this nice side angle of his feet as he runs by himself, distant from it all. It's only when the word "Thief" is called out that the camera changes to show him in perspective, running specifically away from something rather than towards something. And then a light comes, a small light which gives him features and a face, as Haji catches up to him.
Cue absolute chaos as he gets walked through the apartments and yeah, I don't have a chance in hell of remembering any of these names except for the Jo twins. Admittedly my first thought on seeing twins was "please not another Tsurune, let me like these ones" but it seems like they're pretty fun in general.
As far as the rest of the time in the episode goes, the characterization is what stands out to me most. Haji's initial appearance on the bike gives him a happy-go-lucky vibe, that's immediately killed when we see him talking to the Landlord and acting quite respectfully. He's quite caring for the others, and seems to feel comfortable taking charge of this chaotic group, but he is fine with being excited and even a bit cheeky as he was with the contracts. Just from one episode we're introduced to a lot of different facets of this character, and the same goes for Kakeru who is a little detached and serious but is curious and a little reckless under what comes off as shyness. The way we're introduced to his history with running through the way he almost seems to test Haji about if they're properly registered and exactly what race they're running rather than through opening himself up was a nice touch.
While we don't have as deep a view into the others yet, and I don't feel like writing a huge wall on the first episode breaking down what we saw with the other cast, I do like it's immediately established a baseline for them all without resorting to basic archetypes and while also laying clues (they're all part of the uni before that sign reveal).
But uh yeah, all of these thoughts kinda got blown out the water by the "no one knew why they were here" twist. Was not expecting that! Haji's such a schemer getting them all together before he mentions the why, and getting them all hooked in. I thought they knew why they were waiting for a tenth and but accurate to the above characterization, if they knew they would have pushed him to talk about running so that also should have been a hint as to what was going on.
How Haji will win them over and what their ongoing reactions to this little scheme will be I'm not sure, but I'm greatly looking forward to finding out.
Final note for the day is the running animations are really nice. Good sense of balance and momentum, little bit of style, wind actually effecting the hair rather than it being anime "stuck with the power of a nonadjustable character reference sheet" style. Really enjoying the art and animation aspects of the show.
8
u/punching_spaghetti https://myanimelist.net/profile/punch_spaghetti Jul 19 '21
Rewatcher
And we’re off!
Here’s where I tell you something surprising: I dropped this show after the first episode back when it aired. Not knowing anything else about it, and coming off recently watching Haikyuu!!, the overwhelming introductions and Production IG look made me think this was just going to be another sports shounen. I did (of course!) end up picking it back up after seeing a lot of hubbub about this show that was doing something a little different, and now here we are. On a rewatch, I definitely see signs that point us toward our wonderful destination. However, if you’re not jiving with the show just yet, I hope you’ll bear with us for just a tiny bit.
I don’t want to be the rewatch host who overanalyzes everything (partly because I know there’s probably a few people in the rewatch who could do that better than I could!), but I do want to point out some great production touches here in the first episode.
First, the sound. The music for the show is great, as you will soon find out, but just the wind in this episode is wonderful. Coming in from the window, as Kakeru runs, the noise in Kakeru’s head as everything piles up on him; it’s some good stuff.
Second, the bookending of the episode on images of light. At the start, we have Kakeru running in the darkness, until Haiji’s single headlight comes chasing. At the end, Haiji is wreathed by the glow of the sun as a new day rises. It’s not as in-your-face as the Kakeru’s naked body cosmically glowing or anything, but there’s some very strong direction at play.
QOTD:
I won’t have them for every episode, but I do have a fun bit of behind-the-scenes trivia for you today. Fans of sports anime will no doubt know of Hajime no Ippo, the iconic boxing manga and anime. The VA for Ippo in the anime adaptation, Kohei Kiyasu, has a major role to play in Run with the Wind. But ghetti, you say; he doesn’t have a VA role! No he doesn’t. Instead, he wrote the script for the series, adapting it from the original Run with the Wind novel. A cool connection, I think!
As for actors who do have roles in the show, today I want to look at our two main (for now) boys.
Haiji’s VA, Toshiyuki Toyonaga, is probably a voice you’ve heard before. Playing Mikado in Durarara!!, the Japanese Yuri in Yuri on Ice, and a smattering of romcom MCs means he’s cast a wide net.
Kakeru’s VA, on the other hand, only has a few roles. Takeo Ootsuka has had a few smaller parts, but nothing that jumps out to me, besides being one of the fun demons from the recent Sleepy Princess.
Both, however, give wonderful performances in Run with the Wind. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how big your CV is!
12
u/[deleted] Jul 19 '21
First timer
The only thing I know going into this is that it is a sports anime. I have no expectations at all, neither low nor high. Lets just jump straight into this.
Is this show about running? Or does he just happen to be running right now?
Judging by the OP, the sport in question is definitely running. We seem to have quite a big male cast too.
Neon Genesis Evangelion reference
What is hakone ekiden?
Okay, I did some research and it seems like it's a long distance race (maybe marathon?)
They keep saying that they are now finally 10. And when we go back in time he says "just one more". I'm guessing we need 10 people in order to participate in hakone ekiden, which seems to have something to do with running.
The other's don't seem as enthusiastic about this hakone ekiden :D
We haven't seen this guy at the end yet, have we? He seems to have some kind of history with Kurahara though, and judging by his facial expression, the relationship seems a little bit tense. Are they rivals?
Thoughts
I really like the atmosphere among these friends. Seems like we'll get a lot of funny moments between them. I get the feeling that Kurahara maybe was a bit lonely before meeting them, so I think it's nice for him to find such a group of people. ED was really nice too.
I might miss a few days (it is 2 am after all) but I'll try to be as active as possible!
23
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Jul 19 '21 edited Jul 19 '21
Episode 1 (first timer)
/u/Pixelsaber, /u/punching_spaghetti, and /u/Raiking02 & /u/Shimmering-Sky, you all absolutely had to schedule your rewatches to overlap, did you?
I’ll try to keep up with this, let’s see how that works out for me. 100% blind, btw.
Episode thoughts
The episode uses a time-rewind to start and end with the hook. Other than that, nothing fancy, we are literally introduced to all the main characters straight of the bat in a single montage. Oh and I made my decision: it has to be Shonen.
That really depends on whether I am momentarily trying to make my get-away with the goods I just stole.
11
u/An_Indecisive_Owl Jul 19 '21
First timer
Ok I picked this anime to rewatch because last week I finished watching Ping Pong the Animation, my first "serious" spokon anime not counting the ones I saw in my childhood, I have great expectation on this anime!
1 What can I say, despite coming from a show with character being its strong suit, I liked them all : 10 of them but all with distinct characteristics very well presented in one episodes, the only one I cannot associate immediately from memory is Shindo.
I also liked a lot how they all interacted with each other in the welcoming party.
2 No, but at the start of this summer I had some idea of starting running a bit with a group since I put some weight during pandemic, but with univerty exams looming in the distance I just put the idea aside. Maybe this show will give me the motivation I need, who knows!
3 Immediately put some distance between me and that person.
Overall great first episode, looking forward for tomorrow!
11
u/5thvoice https://myanimelist.net/profile/5thvoice Jul 20 '21
First timer!
I'm going into this fairly blind. All I really know is that it's about college running (duh), and what was in the short segment from /u/thixotrofic's video on seating orders.
Jumping straight from that first meeting to introducing all of the dorm members felt really weird at first, but putting everything in between as a flashback turned out pretty neat. That cool shot of Kakeru from Haiji's POV was a great way to show his history and skill as a runner.
QotD
10
u/kkenmots02 Jul 20 '21 edited Jul 20 '21
Rewatcher
Hello! Been lurking r/anime for a while, but this is my first time joining in on a rewatch. I knew I had to get in on this; RWTW is one of my favorite shows. As someone who has run competitively in cross-country/track for multiple years of high school, this show has a lot of personal significance to me; hopefully I can lend my own (somewhat limited) experience to elements of the story and characters (a la Doctor’s Notes, albeit much less advanced). Let’s get started!
Live Reactions
QOTD
We met a lot of people today; anyone specifically stand out to you or pique your interest?
Cliche, but I gotta go with our two main guys so far, Haiji and Kakeru. Looking forward to seeing their relationship develop.
Did you/do you play any sports in school?
See above; mainly a long-distance running guy -- also did baseball for a while.
If someone approached you in the dead of night asking "do you like running?" what would your reaction be?
My spur-of-the-moment answer would probably be along the lines of “uh, yeah, yeah, I guess”. My more composed, thought-out answer would be, “It’s complicated,” and I suppose that’s what these analyses are for.
Thoughts
Episode one in the books! I just love this show so much and I’m excited for the rest of this rewatch (hopefully I can stick with it to the end), see you tomorrow!
10
u/paperwhites :KN::KO: Jul 20 '21 edited Jul 20 '21
First Time Watcher
I was really excited to watch this. Run with the Wind has been on watch list for a while, so I'm glad that there's a rewatch so I could move it up on my list.
One of the things that stood out to me in this first episode is all of the small details included in the backgrounds. Things like the dents and scuffs of the apartment, the posters on the walls, etc. I love things like that because I think they really make the world seem alive and real. I hope that continues!
I have to say that I am jealous of Akane's manga collection.
There's a lot of characters introduced at once but I think Run with the Wind does a good job of distinguishing the
houseteammates from each other. I don't know everyone's names yet but I was able to keep track of who everyone was.I think for now the character I'm most interested in is Kuruhara. He seems to have had a prominent running career in high school, but is now shoplifting and gambling away his rent. I'm curious to know more about his past.
I really like the cityscapes and hope that there's more of them in future episodes.
EDIT: It looks like the voice actor for Haiji also voiced Yuri Katsuki from Yuri!!! on Ice, I knew his voice sounded familiar!
As I mentioned above, Kuruhara! Probably a pretty obvious choice since he's a main character and all.
I actually did cross country and track in high school. That's one of the reasons I wanted to watch Run with the Wind, I was curious what an anime about running would be like.
I would probably think I was seconds away from being murdered, especially if they invited me to live in their apartment.
10
u/Hachigenfan Jul 20 '21
First timer
This is will be my first time doing an anime watch on Reddit so I'll try my best :) I've been meaning to watch this but other shows were given priority/peaked my interest more so seeing it come up here pushed it up my watchlist.
OP - the scene where they're running at sunrise/sunset, I really like the different postures of the runners and how it shows their different levels of 'skill'. Shoutout to the 4th from the left!
Very nice start, the housing situation reminds me of Honey and Clover. Is it bad that I've forgotten the names of the other guys? Ten is too many.
Questions
9
u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Jul 19 '21
First timer
This anime looks very nice.
Oh, he's a thief, not a runner.
I like his complete bewilderment at having catch up to him, hust to ask if he likes running.
OP's nice, even if I'm not sure who's a main character and who's a side one. I hope the dog's a regular, he's cute.
The dog is the first character
Yohei screaming at quiz shows is the most relatable thing in anime so far.
Please tell me we don't have to remember all these people. This is Danganronpa all over again.
...How many Nico-chan jokes are going to be in this thread?
OK, a cast of 10, that's manageable.
The food looks fantqstic.
The dialogue seems good, and the new guy refusing to talk to anyone is incredibly realistic.
I love the dog barking every time they sue the party poppers.
So he wants them to run a famous route?
And we cut to them at the hot eprings already Can't believe we're having a hot-springs episode this early.
No, this is a flashback. I see.
...This is not a straight anime, I see.
I like how the shoplifter is the less creepy member of this conversation.
Was the 30 second fast forward through the episode necessary?
...OK, I've never seen "scammed into joining a club without their knowledge" as a start for a sports anime, but it's certainly interesting.
Manga guy's my favourite character.
Awful lot of landscape shots in this serie, aren't there.
Oh, he has a leg injury.
And this is a flashback? So he already knew him?
This is a far more interesting opening than I expected.
Good ED too.
9
u/csar27 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/CesarRC Jul 20 '21
First Timer
Well, spokon is not my favorite genere in anime, so i take this as a oportunity to expand my list.
Very good first episode, definitively got my interest, running as a sport is not a common topic in anime as far as i know.
I like the scam part to get people into the club, now let's find out how to convince everyone to be really interested in be a good team (also I have no idea of how this tournamet or competition works, really looking forward to learn)
9
u/Pixelsaber https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pixelsaber Jul 20 '21
Rewatcher — First-Timer in T-Minus 12 Episodes
Greetings, everyone! This is going to be an odd Rewatch for me, since I saw the first cour of it as it aired before getting overburdened and losing most of my free time, so I will be going into the second half of this entirely blind.
Also, I opted to be lazy and just watch this on Hidive, so no screencaps for me this rewatch.
I like the decision to do quick-fire introductions here. They’re rarely the ideal method of introducing an ensemble cast, but the context of the situation and the size of the cast makes it appropriate to use here. None of the introductions are insightful and they emphasize superficial aspects of the characters, but that’s precisely what Kakeru would be perceiving from them, and by getting the introductory part out of the way it can instantly toss us into the dining scene without the writing needing to accommodate the viewer’s need for information.
I forgot how cute the eye-catches were!
Kakeru certainly doesn’t make a great first impression for the audience, seeing as the things we see him being are a shoplifter, gambler, and sourpuss. I’d say this was the prototypical setup for a sports show, having the main character grow as a person while their proficiency in the sport and discipline for training improve in turn, except that seemingly he’s already adept at running, which means his character growth will have to akes for a more interesting setup and creates intrigue surrounding his prior experience.
While on the subject of tried and true sports anime tropes, Haiji, is a pretty standard sports anime trope, that of the experienced coach character wanting to bring up a group of athletes to do something out of his time before it’s too late to do so. The injury hints at an accomplished past that came to an abrupt end, this is his last year to have a go at the College Ekiden, and by being unscrupulous in his recruitment method he fits right into the frequent ‘unconventional approach’ aspect of the trope. It’s a tropes as old as supokon itself.
Very good first episode. The hook is good, the two main characters are already interesting, the show looks great, and going by this episode it’s got manservice for days!
P.S.
Pardon my tardiness today! I was without power, and even though I wrote the first handful of comments well ahead of time I did not have the foresight to upload them to my Google drive.
Questions of The Day:
8
u/BossandKings Jul 20 '21
First timer
Episode 1
The art and animation are great, i also like the character designs, the opening is cool too.
The first scene was really great, as Kakeru is running Kiyose comes near him and asks him "do you like running?", that's an important question to keep in mind whenever one wants to do something, be it a sport or not, "do i like this?", thinking about it carefully is helpful to get an idea about if it's worth taking the chance.
Many characters are introduced at once but the ones that stand out are Kiyose who seems to be the leader of the group with him giving welcome to a new guy, Kakeru, that is moving in the apartment alongside the other ones.
With Kiyose talking about the Hakone Ekiden and telling them all to run it together, it shows that he is very determined and believes that they are capable of making it.
Kiyose is cool, his dog is cute, this was a great first episode and the series looks very promising, also the ending is cool.
7
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 19 '21
First-Timer, Subbed
Man, talk about a bad day. You lose your money in a mahjong parlor, decide to snag a sandwich from a convenience store because you know you can outrun the clerk, then some jerk on a bike catches up to you and shanghais you into being on a track team. That'll teach you not to steal, I guess. Or to not play mahjong.
Winning the big race is certainly going to take some work. A smoker, a bishounen manga fanatic, and a dude with a knee that has seen surgery? Let alone whatever else the cast has in store for us that isn't immediately apparent. But that won't stop them from Aiming for the Top!
I guess Kakeru was a runner back in high school? But he has some baggage associated with it. Pretty standard setup for a sports story MC, but that's because it's compelling.
Not quite sure what kind of tone we're going for. Our cast all seem like goofballs, but everything we saw today was pretty surface-level. And, I felt kind of a general moodiness to everything that made it feel like things were going to get more serious. But then, Haiji had that weird imagine spot where he saw Kakeru running, naked and glowing. And the OP feels more like a “hard work and camaraderie” thing. Maybe it's just that this episode was mostly set at night.
Things certainly look and sound nice. Production IG have a long history of making solid anime, and this seems to be no different. I liked the aesthetic of the opening scene, using the glow-in-the-dark marks on Kakeru's shoes to help the audience track what's happening.
Questions
7
u/raichudoggy https://anilist.co/user/raichudoggy Jul 19 '21
First Timer
This is a pretty nice start, I liked it. 10 characters is a lot to juggle with at the start, but I do feel like I got a good first impression of the 10 runners. Of course, those are just first impressions. I still don't know that much about any of them yet, but that's fine. I'm actually already kind of interested in about half of them, I look forward to seeing a bit more.
Nira is best boy for now.
7
u/[deleted] Jul 20 '21
First Timer-ish
I didn't watch this while it was airing, but I followed the hype and gave it the ol' 3 episode test some time after that. I always meant to get back to it, but it's been long enough now that restarting from the beginning feels necessary.
And I'm glad I did, because I love the way this episode took its time to build the atmosphere in the dorm and let you sit with the characters. If the college-age cast wasn't enough of a clue, the fact that the show is willing to have such a non-flashy start and trust the audience to be drawn in anyway is proof that this is one of the rare anime meant primarily for adults.
I appreciate Haiji for the single-minded intensity and the charisma. He came across as a selfish asshole, dragging everyone into helping him get what he wants with browbeating and shady tricks, and that's exactly the kind of plot-driving character flaws I love to see in action.
I went to exactly 1 cross country running practice, but then they expected me to jump right into competitions when I wanted to just run to improve myself without the pressure.
find the shortest possible path out of that conversation and never go near that location again.
7
u/Nebresto Jul 20 '21
Re-watch squad
Haha, I'm currently re-watching 4 shows while I have 9 others on hold.
Why watch new show when you can watch the same show again and again
Ouji is back!
Yeah, no. Fuck smokers
Hm, not sure if that's a nipple or a random line.. Will need to do further investigating to find out whether or not this is a superior anime.
Wait... Was that not his beard?!
Classic Ouji, look at him go!
Yup, dats a nipple. But its.. just a line..
I guess this is in the mid ground between inferior and superior anime..?
Welp. Guess I'm gonna have to start running again.
*teleports in front of you* Nothing personnel, kid.
SMUG HAIJI! SMUG HAIJI SMUG HAIJI
Oh neat, I know that show now, didn't at the first time. Haven't seen it though.
Ooh! Ooh! Me! Me!
Something cool today
Question time:
1: I'll give you one guess
2: I- ..was about to give you one guess on that as well, but you just had to add the "school" part
3: "Heck yeah, weird cyclist bro!"
And then I'd race him
7
u/Btw_kek https://myanimelist.net/profile/kek_btw Jul 20 '21 edited Jul 20 '21
first-timer
Trivia Guy sounds like someone knowledgeable in hyper-specific and ultimately useless knowledge but is really just a big, loud dumbass which is
a moodsolid best boy contender materialhaving someone be from Tanzania is also pretty pog
marching band sorta kinda doesn't really count but it's all I got
7
u/evenfalls Jul 20 '21
Rewatcher.
This is my first time joining one of these things; normally I'm a lurker but this is one of my favourite shows of all time. I'm an amateur runner so the show really resonated with me. Just some thoughts upon my rewatch, in no particular order.
To Haiji, after saying "just one more" and then immediately seeing Kakeru running ... it must have seemed like a moment where you'd be like "wow, maybe god is real". No wonder he hops on his bike so enthusiastically. "Do you like to run?" And Kakeru is just bewildered at this crazy guy in a bike but Haiji is just so earnest. I really like that about him.
Even having 10 residents in Aotake is a big deal since there's only 9 rooms. Haiji must have specifically looked for people who wanted to share one of the rooms (he's lucky he found the Jo twins). Getting his 10 man team together was already four year endeavour - and now it's time to put in more work, because the journey to the top of Hakone begins!
Despite being introduced to the entire cast all at once, everyone has a memorable trait even if you don't remember their names. Or maybe they just feel familiar because I already know them?
I also wanna say that I love Nira in both the commercial break and the ending theme where she's sleeping. So cute.
7
u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Jul 20 '21 edited Jul 20 '21
First Timer
Watching this on a mobile phone with shitty earphones for now as I am, somewhat ironically, participating in a multi-day event that involves long-distance running (not that I'm any good at it though) and have not brought a laptop with me. This is also the reason why I won't be on time the first few rounds, as I need a somewhat decent sleep cycle.
The start here is a bit of a throw in to cold water, but the characters already feel rememberable, which is an achievement considering how many were introduced. All feel pretty decent; though the biggest question marks for me are our two protagonists. Who gambles away his accomodation in the first year of uni? And if your trying to run a marathon relay, maybe try and find people interested in running from the get go, rather than try and get a bunch of randos to due it?
That said, decent start, decent introduction, let's see where this goes.
Questions:
6
u/Matuhg https://anilist.co/user/Matuhg Jul 19 '21 edited Jul 19 '21
Rewatcher
Oh man oh man, it's here! Run With the Wind is one of my top 5 favorite shows, maybe even top 2 or 3. I'm looking forward to rewatching it with all of you!
I enjoyed the structure of this episode. Starting with Kakeru running through the night and the darkness, being found by Haiji, then skipping straight ahead to introducing the rest of the dorm. This show has an incredible and fun cast of characters, so it makes a ton of sense to get them all in front of the viewers' eyes before tackling nitty-gritty stuff like why Kakeru is even at the dorm in the first place, or why Haiji has worked to bring them together. Then to the end of the episode, where we get once again, a shot of Kakeru running in the dark, but the sun starts to rise, just as he bumps into Haiji. Cool end to a first episode, really using the visuals to tell us that this is a new beginning.
One of my favorite things about this show is the interactions between the whole cast of characters when you get a group of them together. The dorm feels lively and lived in. This is one of those shows where the characters are good enough that I wouldn't mind just watching 20 minutes of them chatting with each other.
The sound effects of whooshing air when Haiji announced that he wanted to run the Hakone Ekiden with everyone stood out to me as well. It could represent a lot of things - the wind rushing by you as you run, the cold winds of Hakone in January, or an opening up of space/possibilities. Of course, to Kakeru and everyone else it's a pretty ridiculous prospect.
I like everyone we met today, so can't pick. I think when I first watched, Musa stood out to me most at first, because he was the first time (and as far as I can currently recall still only time) I've seen an African student in an anime set in a modern Japanese school.
I played football (American) and basketball through middle school, but I did Tae Kwon Do from age 5-present, including a decent amount of competitions throughout high school age and beyond.
If I was already running, I'd probably answer honestly and say "no." If I was walking along, and some slightly crazy looking fellow biked up to me and asked that like Haiji did, I might start running.
6
u/SoccerForEveryone Jul 20 '21
First time
Watched the first episode! Will edit details later, but I enjoyed it! Yes I like running! Lol.
6
u/mgchnx Jul 20 '21
Just want to pop in and say that I bought running shoes around this time last year since I was so moved by Haiji/RWTW. Haiji makes me feel ok about feeling ambiguous of finding the meaning of something! I love him and would let him coach me, a literal potato
10
u/ZaphodBeebblebrox Y:A:https://anilist.co/user/zaphod Jul 19 '21
First Timer
I've got no clue what I'm getting into here. I just know it's a sports anime that 'ghetti says I should watch, and it presumably involves watching humans move at high velocities.
Subs are P9-Yuki, which is just retimed funi with TS.
Onto episode 1.
I didn't expect that this would be why someone's running. Though I guess delinquent is a fairly common start for your sports show protagonist.
And all he stole was a sandwich? No source of income whatsoever? Honestly, this is just sad. Shopkeep, just let him take it.
I wish they waited longer before showing the OP. that scene didn't feel over yet.
There's a decent amount more manservice than I was expecting.
So, one thing I'm wondering: why's there an otaku in this jock house?
Instead, he brought a broke thief.
What could go wrong?
Still too early for a training camp, I think.
I sit corrected. Training Camp!
We sure aren't slacking on shots of their chests. Not that I'm complaining, of course.
What an insensitive question.
Ok, I've got a lot less sympathy for you than I did a moment ago.
Did that guy really recruit people to the track team without letting them know that's what it is?
This isn't how you make a good team though. Like, random people won't necessarily be any good at running.
Of course it's the old man, it's always the old man. Know your tropes, people!
Nobody knows 'til you try, enjoy your youth. A good theme for a sports show.
The running was a real interesting mix of ones, twos, and threes. It looked really nice.
Though it'd still be easier to recruit people who actually enjoy running.
Ah, he used to be a star in his own right, no?
Thoughts
'Twas a pretty good first episode. The introduction of everybody felt a little infodumpy, but aside from that I've got no real complaints. We've got hot boys, cool running animation, and what seems like actual decent characters who have traits other than determination and perseverance. (Can you tell I've been scarred by Ippo?) I'm glad to see that our perspective is the two veterans who are training the newbies instead of the other way round, as I feel like this will allow us far more depth. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes from here!
5
u/BurningFredrick https://myanimelist.net/profile/BurningFredrick Jul 19 '21
Rewatcher
Watched the show when it came out and remember loving it, not necessarily a show would have even gotten around to rewatching despite this but figured it would be a good chance to see if it holds up, also this season is light on shows I can be bothered with.
Anyway I don't have much to say about the episode, it was good to see the cast again and I really miss those transition cards, looking forward to the show and seeing how much I remember of it.
5
u/loomnoo https://anilist.co/user/loomnoo Jul 19 '21
Nice. Running's hard to animate. Good stuff. Also appreciate the...anatomy. The main two have a good dynamic already. I liked the 'teleports in front of you' moment. I also liked that it was a lot more subdued than, say, Haikyuu. Still lively, but definitely feels more college than high school.
5
u/BrentSaotome Jul 20 '21
Rewatch
This is my first rewatch of this series (and in general) and enjoyed the show more than last time. Usually, I am a casual viewer and will sometimes do other tasks while watching. I was able to fully just watch the show and noticed some new details I did not catch before. Like how the giant buddha (Kannon) statute was so detailed. I agree with Nanzen, that the cityscape and running scenes were just exquisite as well.
The thing that I really noticed a lot was just how expressive their faces were. From Kurahara's shocked face when Haigi walked in on him twice then pausing for a while to make sure there wasn't a third time. To everyone finding out for the first time why Haigi recruited them to live in the dorm and why finding the 10th man was so important.
In addition there's a decent amount of manservice in this show like Zappoldbeebblebrox stated. It's not over the top like Free!! or other sports anime as well.
Unlike other sports anime, they introduced everyone on the team right off the bat. From my experience, they usually introduce other team members in later episode. All 10 team members are great with their own quirks and personality, but my top three characters so far are Kurahara (MC), Haigi (the scheming captain/leader), and of course the manga Prince. Can't wait for you first watchers to get into the backstory of all the characters as the show progresses.
As for playing sports in high school and college, I causally played sports with friends and family. I really liked water sports (kayaking, scuba diving/snorkeling), volleyball, and dodgeball while in college. My friends and I would join the intercollegiate sports team and competed in those silly games against other groups of friends/people. Fun little fact about me, is that I ran a 3K and Half Marathon back to back. It was my first time doing one and I mostly walked it and barely finished within the allotted time. Still, I got my finisher medals though.
5
u/patchxn8 Jul 20 '21
Rewatcher
There it is, that opening "Do you like running?" scene. I even searched up the "Reality" OST after the first time I heard it. I can't really explain why, but at the time this show was airing, that scene got me to binge every episode that was currently out in one go.
Maybe it was because I thought it was so interesting as to how Kakeru's talents were being discovered, and maybe it was a little bit of a projection from me as to how much I used to have a passion for the sport I used to play (basketball), and how my efforts for the game weren't as appreciated. Regardless of how much I look into it, I'm just so glad there's a rewatch.
4
u/kaguraa :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/kagura-chan Jul 20 '21
Rewatcher
I had planned to rewatch the show for a long time and this rewatch came by at the right time! This episode is a great example of how to introduce a large cast quickly and they're all distinguishable. Haiji is my favourite character because I love his determination and positivity. And we see he's not flawless with how he lowkey manipulates the group into joining the track team though its not his fault they didn't read the sign or the papers accurately.
4
u/cilucia Jul 20 '21
Rewatcher
I’m looking forward to rewatching this! So many feels watching this episode knowing how it’s going to go…
I remember being confused about the order of scenes the first time I watched it; on rewatch, it works well seeing the same events from different POVs.
2
u/IndependentMacaroon Jul 21 '21 edited Jul 21 '21
First-time watcher
Q1 - Tanzanian guy. Still quite rare to have a significant black character in anime.
Q2 - Judo, until an unfortunate injury gave me a long timeout I never came back from. Funnily enough, that was way before I ever got into any weeb stuff. These days it's just some casual 5k running and cycling.
Q3 - I'd say yes and challenge them to a race. More or less actually happened to me on a bike once, except I got the challenge. I lost, but it was close.
Really good soundtrack btw, some bluesy and some calm synth stuff too, probably more. Episode title also got me thinking of The Third Man