7.022 minSeason 1 • Episode 23
LatestKakeru is bewildered by this new experience. His speed overwhelms the other competitors. Meanwhile, reigning champion Rikudo’s ace Fujioka breaks the section record as promised and pushes his team into first place. Fujioka finds Haiji. What answers wait for them at the ends of their roads? They reassure one another as they exchange words. Prince’s smile pushes Haiji’s quiet resolve forward. Kakeru eventually appears at the relay station, running at shocking speeds. Their dream lies before them. Kakeru passes to Haiji. Their sash unites them and their entire team. At what peak will the Kansei University track and field team arrive?
Kakeru, a former elite runner at high school, is chased for stealing food. He is saved by Kansei University student Haiji, who is also a runner. Haiji persuades Kakeru to live in the old apartment "Chikuseisou" where he plans to team up with fellow residents to enter Hakone Ekiden Marathon, one of the most prominent university races in Japan. Kakeru soon finds out that all of the residents except for Haiji and himself are complete novices.
Writing
Each roommate gets a devastating backstory episode.
Direction
Running sequences that actually feel like running.
Score
Soundtrack that makes 5K runs feel epic.
Takeo Otsuka
Kakeru Kurahara (voice)
Toshiyuki Toyonaga
Haiji Kiyose (voice)
Miyu Irino
Akane Kashiwazaki (voice)
Hideaki Kabumoto
Musa Kamala (voice)
Takanori Hoshino
Akihiro Hirata (voice)
Riki Kitazawa
Youhei Sakaguchi (voice)
Yuto Uemura
Joujirou Kizuki (voice)
Kazuyuki Okitsu
Yukihiko Iwakura (voice)
Koki Uchiyama
Takashi Sugiyama (voice)
Junya Enoki
Joutarou Kizuki (voice)
Koutarou Nakamura
Genichirou Tazaki (voice)
Kengo Kawanishi
Kousuke Sakaki (voice)
Juri Kimura
Hanako Katsuta (voice)
Satoshi Hino
Kazuma Fujioka (voice)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Author Shion Miura also wrote The Great Passage, another novel about obsessive male dedication to obscure Japanese cultural institutions.
Hakone Ekiden is a real New Year's tradition where 20 million Japanese watch university teams relay 217.9 km; Production I.G animators actually ran segments to capture authentic exhaustion.
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