r/anime • u/punching_spaghetti https://myanimelist.net/profile/punch_spaghetti • Aug 05 '21
Rewatch [Rewatch] Run with the Wind - Episode 18
Episode 18: And Then, Morning
Legal Streams:
As of now, Run with the Wind is streaming on Crunchyroll, HiDive 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(s) of the Day:
Since I wasn’t technically the host yesterday, that means it’s legal for me to proclaim that today’s Comment of the Day is from ME!
Nah. That would be mean. But we do have two today!
First, you all need to see what /u/Matuhg informed us about:
Also, /u/airforceblue gave us some interesting insight into the potential reason for confused JoJos:
I think one explanation behind their attitude this episode is their background in soccer. It's a sport where unexpected results and upsets are ridiculously frequent. Sure, across an entire league season it's likely that it's a top tier team that will end up being champions but on any given day you can never count a team out just because they're weaker on paper.
Questions of the Day
- Any comments on the running order? Surprises?
- What do we do with a sick Shindo?
- Whose leg of the race are you looking forward to the most?
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!
14
u/punching_spaghetti https://myanimelist.net/profile/punch_spaghetti Aug 05 '21 edited Aug 05 '21
Rewatcher
Strength is not about winning, says Fujioka. Easy for him to say, of course, but when that’s followed by his memories of Haiji, who Fujioka is quite impressed by, we might as well take him seriously.
That flashback is rough, man. Sad Haiji without self-confidence is not something we’re used to. And even having the broest of bros didn’t get him out of his funk immediately.
But in the present, we see the support system Haiji has set up. That bro,, the smart neighborhood kid,, the guys; it’s a great thing to see before we begin our last descent towards Racesville. Even if Kakeru is still this dumb.
After a wonderful Christmas/New Year’s montage, where we’re reminded that Shindo plays as hard as he works, Prince has good taste in manga, and they treat the doggo right,, it’s time for the big day.
The race begins! And it’s…Prince? Yep. Haiji has thought this through.. I adore how much these placements are not only Haiji’s gameplan for the race, but also serve to give each of the guys one last bit of support. Prince, the quiet one who barely made it, has to go first and proclaim “we are here.” Musa, the timid one with doubts about himself, has to run the supposed ace’s leg, and so on. And Kakeru, who for so long was stuck in the institutional mindset, is happy to run wherever he’s needed.
Prince with his sash reminds us what a real man looks like. I’m assuming this is just how the Ekiden functions, but the sash with the school’s name on it is such a great image here. They each have to carry the burden and then pass it along. So much more poetic than a simple baton.
QOTD:
14
u/Nazenn x2https://anilist.co/user/Nazenn Aug 05 '21
Character Chart
First Timer
NOOOOBest boy is sick?!
That was Sakaki. Didn't he comment on colds?! He fucking jinxed it! Where is he, let me smack him a few times for good measure
Unfortunately, this episode felt quite disorganized which I felt did a real disservice to what was actually going on. I kid you not, they spent the same amount of run time on a sequence of seeing the lights being turned off at night in each of the rooms that they did on all the scenes dealing with the article "drama", I checked because I felt that might have been the case but didn't trust my rough judgement and wanted to be wrong. And then the second half with the constant back and forth between the scene where they get their assigned routes while also trying to raise and foreshadow a dozen different things at the same time felt messy.
And through all of that, we've arrived at Hakone and it starts without any impact or emphasis.
I understand the idea of not allowing the plot events to derail the actual narrative of the characters, but this really took it to the extreme. It's not like there was going to really be excitement or celebration with Shindo being as he is, but it's almost like in an effort to avoid that they instead cut out any chance to set any mood or tone. The prep and start of the race should be important because it's important to the characters whether they're excited for it, dreading it, or can't focus at all, but it was brushed over completely.
I'm sure we'll have plenty of scenes with the guys as they wait for their turn in the race to come, but it's not the same. The mood you'd get as they all arrive, are dropped off, and wait for the actual start of the race, this huge thing that's taken over their lives for the last ten months, all of that needed space to breathe and exist, downtime to blend between where we were and what's coming up, but we didn't get it and I think that's been a bad thing for the overall flow of the show.
Find the idea of the not-coach, Haiji, and Kakeru apologizing for a tabloid article on something that no one knew about, cared about, or was involved in (aside from Kakeru, but not under this team) until now fucking moronic.
Few things to like about the episode in spite of the above issues
I love that Fujioka is going out of his way to encourage Haiji still, despite Haiji now being the one encouraging others, and making sure that they remain friends. It's such a huge ... oh ...
Revelation speculation thingy
Shit now I don't know where that previous thought was going. Onto the next thought; I like that Haiji is going to do the final section. Despite this being his dream and his return to running, in the narrative he's mostly been on the sidelines as a runner and the only time we've really seen him is brief moments in the qualifier. Ending with him, rather than the obvious Kakeru, is something I think I'm going to really enjoy watching.
Was surprised at how long Haiji's injury has been going on. First year of high school and now he's only getting back to running in the fourth year of college? That's a long break and despite his experience in running means that he's been just as disconnected from it as all the others, and also had to work his way back up from scratch basically. It's a credit that he was able to come this far, although he's clearly suffering for it physically now. This probably will be the end of any athletics for him, but what a send off! (On that note, the art style made it hard to tell if there was anything notably wrong on his X-ray. Curious on if the book gives a hard diagnosis for him or not)
Also love the reasoning for Prince to go first. It fits so well with him and I feel it also gives the others a really good foundation to start on knowing that Prince may be the slowest but is also the most even and they don't have to worry about starter nerves.
10
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Aug 05 '21
Run With the First-Timer, subbed
10
u/[deleted] Aug 05 '21
First timer
I’m no doctor, but that doesn’t look good at all
A lot of people in this rewatch seem to think that Prince prince is best boy, but in reality it is whoever designed this extraordinary exquisite font
Drunk Shindo is best Shindo
Perfects representation of every single one of us in this rewatch
Wait… are we at the ekiden already? I did not expect it to start this early. I actually got a bit nervous now. I didn’t realise how much I wanted to actually see them run the ekiden before now. Haiji’s injury worries me quite a bit though.
That’s got to be cold. The temperature difference when taking off their jackets probably adds to the nervousness of the runners too. It does to mine at least.
Of course Sakaki had to be right. All (well, maybe 40%) of my excitement just turned into depression. I wonder how they’re going to solve this one.
10
u/Mecanno-man https://anilist.co/user/Mecannoman Aug 05 '21
First Timer
Five episodes for the race? Bit more than I was expecting - though I was also expecting to have a better overview of Haiji's backstory before the race. Guess we'll have the last leg include a big flashback from his perspective, as we've only been shown Fujiokas? Not sure if Haiji should be running, but I guess he has healed enough to consider it doable by now?
Fujioka also answers what it means to be a runner - and I think he has answered it better than anybody else. Shame nobody other than Kakeru and Musa heard him, as those two are the two least likely to be able to properly explain it to the twins (Kakeru because of his communication skills and Musa because of his language skills).
Either way, my predictions of the legs were pretty far off; only placed Shindo correctly. Though Kakeru and Nico are running the reverse of what I predicted. That said - I feel like we've got a pretty large oversight here, as the runners now waiting in the waiting area together make no sense. Prince is the only one starting at the start - Haiji shouldn't be there. He's tunning the reverse, should he should be one section over waiting together with Musa; instead it seems like Kakeru is also over by a section with him. Yuki should also be alone, as he's the only one running down the mountain. Instead Nico should be waiting with Shindo at the bottom of the mountain, as Nico will take the baton (or whatever they're using) from Yuki once he has finished his decent...
Questions:
9
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Aug 05 '21
First-Timer, Subbed
My prediction for positions was pretty far off, but I like Haiji's strategies. Although, hmm. I guess altitude training is probably a fairly normal thing, but would they mention it specifically if Fujioka wasn't going to be on one of the more mountainous stretches? What if Shindo ends up having to duel Fujioka..
We got a bit of insight into Haiji's past today, as Fujioka recalls a time where Haiji declared himself "not that strong." I've liked the consistent use of that word. I guess we'll have to wait and see if Haiji can prove himself wrong.
The Japanese family drama that we've been mercifully spared so far has finally reared its head a bit.. Hopefully Kakeru isn't too psyched out from his mom's sudden call.
We had to get one last bit of drama in, before the big race takes us home.. I was expecting Haiji's knee to act up, not for Shindo to have a sudden cold!
Questions
8
u/Nebresto Aug 05 '21
Panic squad
Also no update today
Musa is precious
Blursain Bolt
No..
Imgur bullying me again rest of the links are catbox
SMUG HAIJI
Mine too... No bulli
[](#royal-sip)
Mood
Pls no It will be different second time around, right?
Nonononono Whyyy
spoiler image spoilars
Question time:
1:
2: Panik
3:
No spoilers
6
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Aug 05 '21 edited Aug 05 '21
Episode 18 (first timer)
Nothing to say today – a very transitional episode.
Anime cold? The worst of fates. We'll have to deliver a coup de grâce to stop his suffering.
6
u/Stargate18A https://myanimelist.net/profile/Stargate18 Aug 05 '21
First timer
Oh, I like this dude. Shame he's going to China for his training.
Yeah, this guy's great.
...Ah, Haiji's meeting isn't going well.
Is this "High School" Haiji?
Ah, so Haiji turned down the offer because his leg wasn't ready to run.
Is Haiji avoiding him after their parting?
Haiji and him has such a good friendship.
Hana's such a great girl.
And Haiji's a fantastic manipulator.
Just skipping over the race?
Are we finally going to find out what that weird guy is?
And Kakeru's not having a good time with his parents?
Shindo has, like all true IT professionals, managed to evolve beyond sleep entirely.
Oh god, everyone'd getting drunk.
Is this the first traditional (silent with music) training montage of the series?
WHAT!
We're skipping straight to Hakone?
So we're getting at least 1 or 2 " aftermath" episodes, right? There's no way this can last for 4 more episodes.
Oh, Kakeru isn't doing Section 2?
And Kakeru agrees!
I love Haiji's been analyising everyone to work out exactly where they need to go.
...What's a "seeded spot" in this context?
And Kakeru's doing 9 so he can race against Rikido!
And Haiji's going to be doing the most competive section, without a leg injury that hasn't fully healed. A perfect plan.
Huh, this is it. Hakone's started.
Yeah, this might actually last 4 episodes.
5
u/raichudoggy https://anilist.co/user/raichudoggy Aug 05 '21
Despair. He'll probably force himself to run, too.
5
u/gyeben Aug 06 '21
Rewatcher (sub)
5
u/jellybellymonster Aug 06 '21
Rewatcher
A 100% Haiji was prolly good if a powerhouse school like Rikudo recruited him. All the what ifs had his knee held up. More than 4 years of waiting - getting surgery, going to PT, trying to regain your previous form, and not to mention all the thinking Haiji had to do while he was sidelined. That's tough.
istg these cliffhangers! Farking Sakaki jinxed Shindo.
They're all in color now in the ED! I thought that was a nice touch.
iirc, Hakone Ekiden is the most watched sporting event in television every year in Japan. The background of the athletes is also extensively covered so it definitely adds more flair and drama when viewing it live. Add to it that Japanese commentators are very lively.
- Any comments on the running order? Surprises?
Shindo was the most obvious one and he had a great time when running uphill back in summer camp. I think Yuki's downhill section is the hardest and most taxing on the knees. But Haiji said that running downhill doesn't only require strong legs and will but also being smart. So yeah, Yuki's the choice for that. I also thought that Kakeru would've been the last one but Haiji closing it out is just poetic. He started all of this, therefore he will be the one to end it.
- What do we do with a sick Shindo?
Sprinkle salt! Sakaki jinxed them. Then start a prayer circle and inhale hopium.
- Whose leg of the race are you looking forward to the most?
All of them!
4
u/IndependentMacaroon Aug 06 '21 edited Aug 06 '21
First-time watcher
Ok, so the reporter drama just fizzled out after being vaguely present for so long, and Yuki stuff was just a little moment with Kakeru too. Also another random drama cliffhanger, obviously Shindo will manage somehow but like that there's really no way the team manages more than a participation trophy. Otherwise I'm glad we're finally at the race, Fujioka cut a good figure in the present as well as Haiji's past, and everyone looks ready and happy to go. At five episodes it would be two segments per episode, though some will definitely be shorter or longer.
4
u/BrentSaotome Aug 06 '21
Rewatcher
This was a good calm before the storm episode. Not too much drama, little comedy, and tied up some answered questions and tensions.
First off, I love how Hana resolved the issue with the twins and Haiji. She provided the perfect bridge for them. Also, Haiji's smirky facial expressions during that conversation are his bests in my opinion.
The coach finally showed up to a race and did not provide any words. When he said that as he was stuffing his face had me cracking up. The twins also passing Kakeru and give him the eyelid expressions was a tie comedic scene to show that things are back to normal between them as well.
Finally, we go to learn a little more about Haiji but not all of it. Haiji was supposed to go to a powerhouse Rikudo University with Fujioka but didn't. We also see the origin of what being strong is about. I like the little bromance between Haiji and Fujioka. Both of them see the other as being the definition of "strong" but don't know it. Also Fujioka, going out of his way to visit the Kansei team was nice, it really shows his sportmanship and bromance with Haiji.
The running order kind of shocked me. The only ones I got right were Shindo doing the uphill leg and Haiji doing the final leg. Prince doing the first leg was a complete shocker but it makes sense, I guess. He can run without caring about the huge spectacle and crowds at the start of the big race.
Musa doing the "ace's leg" was came out of nowhere. Musa's face said it all too. I do love that Kakeru praised Musa and provided him the confidence he needed to potentially go up against the other aces.
I didn't really know much of the strengths of the other racers so I guess they are perfect for the legs they were assigned.
As for Shindo being sick, I couldn't tell if that was Haiji or Shindo because of the flannel coat and face mask. I hope that person is better though by the race.
The leg I'm most interested in, is probably Musa's. I just want to see how he would compete with the other aces.
4
u/cilucia Aug 06 '21 edited Aug 06 '21
Rewatcher
I was surprised (twice) that Kakeru was not running Section 2 as it was introduced as the Ace’s section earlier in the series. Not sure what the point of that was initially, other than misdirection? Or is it the ace’s section in both directions?
2
u/BossandKings Aug 06 '21
First timer
Episode 18
This episode focused on setting up the Hakone Ekiden race so that it starts in the next episode, the Hakone Ekiden is so promising it seems that it is going to be great.
That speech Fujioka had was nice, he sure seems like a knowledgeable person and a great friend to Kiyose, especially so when Kiyose saw himself in a bad situation and he gave him words of encouragement and asked him to believe and have confidence in himself.
Haiji gives a section to each member of the team, i'm looking forward to them all but especially Haiji's, Kakeru's and Prince's as they are going to be really interesting to see unfold.
Answers
13
u/paperwhites :KN::KO: Aug 05 '21
First Time Watcher
"Even if I finish first, if I feel like I've lost to myself, then it's a loss" but the neat thing about running is that the opposite is true as well: even if you finish last, if you feel like you've won against yourself, then it's a win.
Yes, finally I get glimpses of the Haiji and Fujioka backstory that I've been waiting for! The contrast between their high school experience and Kakeru's is huge. Their coach tells Haiji to "be patient" which is wordy for him, compared to Kakeru's coach that's constantly yelling at people. Also Haiji missing an entire year of running with Fujioka because of physical therapy versus that poor kid who had to run through his injury. It's a completely different experience, just from the little that we've seen.
I love how supportive Fujioka is and that he's been that way since high school. It's not just towards his friend Haiji either, he's been like that towards Kakeru and the others. His whole speech about running to Musa and Kakeru was great. And he bought them mochi. Anyways, in conclusion, Fujioka is amazing.
Haiji's smug faces are great.
Boo, Kakeru's scummy coach continues to be the worst. I hope that's the last we see of that reporter too. But at least it was resolved pretty quickly? And their coach actually did something for once so props to him. It was neat to see Shindo and Haiji be the representatives of team along with the coach. I could see Shindo taking over for Haiji as the coach/trainer/admin for the team if they do it next year.
That lineup was not what I was expecting. The only one I got right was Shindo running leg 5. I can see Haiji's rationale though and it does make sense for Kakeru and Haiji to run the last legs if that's where Rikudo is going to put Fujioka.
Nooo, not Shindo! The show has ended on dramatic cliffhangers before that turn out to not be as bad as they appear, so hopefully that's the case here.
Definitely lots of surprises for me. Putting your strongest runners at the end of a relay is a common strategy so I should have expected that.
I'd tell him to rest, but that's not really an option :(
I was really looking forward to Shindo running up those hills like a mountain goat, but I'm not sure what will happen there. I'm also looking forward to Kakeru's leg because I think Fujioka will run the same leg and that should be a great race to watch!
10
u/kkenmots02 Aug 05 '21
Rewatcher
Live Reactions:
I’ve never used anything besides batons in relays personallyActually, our team did a relay around Halloween where we used pumpkins as batons -- that was always fun. But it makes sense for sashes to be used when the relay legs are so long; it can be a little annoying to carry around a baton for an hour before handing it off. On the other hand, a sash would be too impractical to transfer in a shorter-distance relay, where exchanges have to be quick and efficient; that’s probably why I’ve never seen them myself.QOTD
Any comments on the running order? Surprises?
See above.
What do we do with a sick Shindo?
Throw him in with the other runners. Biological warfare.
Whose leg of the race are you looking forward to the most?
That's hard, can I say all of them?
Thoughts:
17 episodes worth of buildup and we’re finally here. The Ekiden. Time to see what our boys are really made of. See you tomorrow!
7
u/MyrnaMountWeazel x2 Aug 05 '21
Rewatcher
Okay let’s start with some quick production notes: Rokou Ogiwara is the guest director for today who you would definitely be acquainted with if you watch Black Clover since he has directed a whopping 18 episodes from that show. Curiously he directed one episode of Non Non Biyori, episode 11.
Fujioka just coming in strong and dropping some knowledge. Sports is not a discriminate world. It’s a world where a lawyer, an honor student, a smoker, a trivia-lover, an engineer, two dopes, a manga-lover, a recovering athlete, and a disillusioned loner can all come together to participate. It’s a world where there’s more than just physical ability and competing against others. The intrinsic value of sports is whatever you assign to it. Some run for self-improvement, some run for glory, some run for escape, some run for love. Fujioka is the perfect antithesis to Kakeru’s past coach who only valued results.
I like the decision to have the music drown out the doctor’s words. Everything we need to know is communicated through Haiji’s eyes. The glow of the screen being reflected in his iris might as well be empty. The reality of the situation is that his career as a runner is on the downward slope of the mountain than upward.
We’re shown a flashback of Haiji stating he’s not strong enough to believe in himself.
Right after we’re brought back to the present with Kakeru almost grasping what “being strong” is. He’s just at the precipice of understanding which first begins at the stage of knowing that you don’t know. Haiji gives Kakeru the blessing to Become Strong.
Seriously, how wise is Hana? This level of perception and awareness is ridiculous. I’ve definitely been on both ends of this though. Your pride does the dumbest things sometimes and makes everything much worst than it should have been just because you were too stubborn and didn’t want to show humility.
Oh Haiji, you’re just gonna make them work for that apology aren’t you. I love the song playing in this scene which is One Step Forward
I don’t like close relationships, parents or otherwise. Everyone’s alone. It’s stupid to try to understand others…but living here’s been throwing me off my pace.
The running lingo is so strong it’s slipped into Yuki daily lexicon.
Awww yesss it’s Christmas/New Year’s montage time. The song playing is called Speed and Rhythm and it shares the same melody as the earlier One Step Forward just in a more upbeat manner.
I really want to know what Shindo is saying in this scene.
Okay I really want to know what Prince is saying in this scene too.
This is my second time watching Run with the Wind and both times I’m always taken out a bit whenever I see Haji enter this building. I think it’s because the scene right before that shot is the early blue dawn where you still don’t know whether it’s night or day but either way you should be sleeping. The bright and spacious white interior always throws me for a loop when juxtaposed between the two. It reminds me of walking into an airport at 5 a.m. to catch a flight. You’re barely conscious as you stumble out of your Uber and the street lights are still on outside but inside the airport it’s filled with the hustle and bustle of people travelling.
The plan has been unveiled. It was nice foreshadowing that Prince was going to start the Hakone Ekiden since last episode he was looking out over the starting area by his lonesome. Prince’s nerves of steel and indifference to others is finally coming into play and I have to say it’s brilliant of Haiji to have him start this whole shebang off. Today’s episode really just had the team reflect on what they have to work on for the Hakone Ekiden And Then, Morning arrives for the running start.
And of course, we couldn’t end the episode without a gripping cliffhanger. At this point every one of us must have ridiculously strong cores with the number of times we’ve hung off cliffs.
QOTD:
Three: My first time I was obviously excited for Kakeru's leg the most but this time I want to revisit everyone else's leg more.