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Nov 26, 2023 5:28 AM
#1

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Nov 2011
129185
I don't think anyone can ever be mad at Kouya. The goofy just takes chances to get to know and make friends with others, in this case with episode 9.

Haruka needed to open himself more as he's always had a serious mentality since the beginning.
Nov 26, 2023 6:43 AM
#2
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Mar 2022
127
Thought it’d be all about racing in every episode till I saw someone say we’d be disappointed because it’s more about the characters. Glad to say I’m not disappointed at all!
Nov 26, 2023 7:58 AM
#3
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Sep 2021
2498
Kouya's past during the earthquake in his circumstances was shown well, the beautiful message of this story really hits hard and was meaningfull.
Nov 26, 2023 8:08 AM
#4

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Jul 2017
14914
Haruka found Kouya right at the location of the business card, but the latter feels uneasy if the former just dashes off on his own, and therefore, follows him on his entourage to God knows where around Iwate Prefecture. The bond between Haruka and Kouya is quite the impact when he first photographed his candid photos earlier and destresses him while they're at it. The real reason why Kouya could not take photos of people, it was not because of criticism, and Haruka is tired of being kept in the dark.

12 years ago, when both Kouya and Saeko were attached, the inspired referenced Tohoku Earthquake got Kouya all bad when he captured the last moments of the girl last photographed with Shouzou unconsciously, and it was a disaster that even through the camera lens, the nightmare lingers that he can't capture single-person shots, which that shot went straight to the media which created the controversy.

It's the same for the famous Eddie Adams documenting photos of the Vietnam War.
https://www.businessinsider.com/eddie-adams-vietnam-war-photos-2016-7

Realizing that Shouzou has little time left, Kouya wants to redeem himself the same way that Eddie Adams did, which shaped part and parcel of the life captured of people regardless of their moments in life. To this day, people still thinking that Kouya is at fault, but Shouzou still keeping the photo that he took with him and Momo, that was the swan song to get him back on the racetrack.

You're redeemed, Kouya Madoka, for the better. Impressive episode.
Nov 26, 2023 8:15 AM
#5

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Oct 2009
708
Thank you. For another beautiful episode, handling its every detail with impeccable grace.
Nov 26, 2023 8:30 AM
#6

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Mar 2021
1923
This was a beautiful episode that handled a difficult topic with such respect and care, Kouya really didn't do anything wrong and deserves to be able to live a life where he is not vilified
Nov 26, 2023 8:43 AM
#7
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Sep 2015
6723
If you observe closely you can see Haruka wearing Kouya's shirt.

I don't know if it's appropriate to ship in such a sensitive episode.
Nov 26, 2023 10:50 AM
#8
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Nov 2015
161
I spent most of this episode with a puzzled look on my face trying to figure out if this show is boys love or not
Nov 26, 2023 10:51 AM
#9

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Jan 2009
101804
the bromance is strong

can koya overtake his trauma now

but damn so sad about that girl momo dying helplessly like that
Nov 26, 2023 10:58 AM

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Aug 2015
188
wow this ep actually really good, they really got in depth with the story behind it all
Nov 26, 2023 11:04 AM
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May 2021
391
this was such a beautiful episode. haruka and kouya spending time together in the beginning, kouya telling haruka about what really happened during the earthquake, and kouya getting a little bit of closure about everything. i went into this show expecting a silly little racing anime, but ive been just blown away by how beautiful and heart wrenching and warm this show is. definitely an underrated gem that deserves way more attention. i can't wait for the rest
My 2023 candies:
Nov 26, 2023 11:32 AM
Community Mod
Equanimity

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Nov 2020
1570
I have never experienced an earthquake, but I found the flashback very disturbing.
Nov 26, 2023 11:33 AM
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Jul 2018
564055
today´s episode was the best so far. the best! I feel like maybe they should have marketed the anime better though because people who expected this to be about racing and excitement are probably led down, but I just love it.
Nov 26, 2023 11:36 AM
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Aug 2021
55
Honestly this anime has become one of my year’s fav.

I’m a wanna-be-pro photographer who loves racing & anime and journalism like what Kouya does, his experience along with Haruka’s behind the scene of F4 really resonates with me.

In photography as you spend time with your subjects you have shared a piece of life with them, which in this case is like rubbing salt in the wound, there really wasn't anything he could do but he's been holding that responsibility all to himself. There are many similar connections in real life photography world too. Steve McCurry, Eugene Smith, the Napalm girl etc.

In the end it’s great to have Kouya back and we’re now back on track (pun) to 1st F4 podium for Haruka, still not sure why Kouya’s divorced and what Haruka will do next considering he’s now in team Belsorriso
ZXSHAWN01Nov 26, 2023 8:48 PM
Nov 26, 2023 12:13 PM

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Jul 2022
345
Fuck, this one ripped out my heart and elevated this show in my esteem. Great drama, beautiful unveiling of trauma. Fabulous balance in the episodic development of the story. Back to the thrills and chills of racing for the final arc, I'd guess. Slice of Life, baby. Gotta love a beautiful take on reality, it can't be escapist fantasy all of the time.
Nov 26, 2023 12:36 PM

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Dec 2015
3218
With this episode all the questions I had are answered. Did not expect him to have known the girl a bit from before. They nicely explained why he could not take any pictures anymore. (Seemed like a kind of a PTSD.)

The real life referene was interesting. Did knot know about that pic and that photographer. (From 1968 or so. I immediately had to google it - since they used real life names like Niki Lauda and Hunt it was obvious that this would refer to some real events as well.)

Now let's see how they are going to end this - probably with a win for Haru and the other guy returning to racing again - after his stay in the hospital.
Nov 26, 2023 12:54 PM
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Jun 2020
9
According to me this was the most beautiful episode of the season! The way they opened up to each other, and the closure to Kouya's regret was splendidly portrayed.
Nov 26, 2023 12:57 PM

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Apr 2012
182
this ep was... disturbing, huh? but also emotional as much. one of the best so far.
To err is human. To purr is feline (c)
Nov 26, 2023 1:01 PM

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Feb 2019
9567
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful conclusion to Kouya’s depression arc. Best episode so far. Definitely teared up there at the end. He’s been carrying all that pain and guilt with him for 12 long years. I’m so glad he’s finally free.

He and Haruka had some amazing bromance moments in this episode. The perfect visitor at the perfect time for him.

Seeing the flashback to the Tohoku earthquake was brutal. Much of the area was already underdeveloped because of historical discrimination of the region, you had young people leaving droves for Tokyo, Sendai and Osaka, and then you get this massive earthquake that destroys much of the existing area. Not to mention the tsunami.

The moment Kouya captured in that photo is a very difficult and tragic moment, but it’s powerful and needs to be seen by people around the world. He absolutely did the right thing so people who are not Japanese or not from Tōhoku could see the devastation brought by that event. How in the blink of an eye, so many lives were forever changed. It’s rare that you can capture such a turning point in a photo like that and he did it.

Like he mentioned the Saigon execution photo from the 60s which was particularly relevant for me since my dad fought in Vietnam, but people see one moment immortalised in a photo and form perceptions. They don’t think about what preceded or followed that moment. Kouya and the little girl appeared to be quite close and if there was ANY way he could’ve saved her he would’ve. The family just took their hurt out on him which was wrong

In the end, the granddad telling him to continue taking photos and complimenting him was exactly what he needed to move forward. It was a little bit of a plot contrivance that all of a sudden after 12 years when Haruka is there with him now the grandad tells him it’s ok and to move on, but I’ll allow it lol.

He died right after that meeting :/ as if he was hanging on for one last meeting with Kouya.. people get upset with the lack of racing scenes in this show; but I’m starting to think of the “overtake” in the name not being a literal racing reference, but also overtaking grief and moving past it.

Awesome ep
Marinate1016Nov 26, 2023 1:09 PM
Nov 26, 2023 1:13 PM

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Aug 2020
3712
let's be honest, the episode was good, it will be a lie if i say no.


racing and photo should have been 2 manga, both together is not that great...

the animation ,ost, seiyuu, everything was great but in reality , this is too much for the story...

of course it is easy on my couch but ,at the end, we don't have enough racing story and the photograph story, the people yelling at him as if it was his daughter...

at the end of day, sometimes it's better to focus on one story than have 2 different story...
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Nov 26, 2023 1:16 PM

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Aug 2020
3712
Reply to IAmVento
I spent most of this episode with a puzzled look on my face trying to figure out if this show is boys love or not
@IAmVento lol, i was not ready for that...

obvisouly not, maybe between a big bro and his little brother...
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Nov 26, 2023 1:44 PM
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Aug 2015
63
ep 9: let's explain what everybody knows since the first ep.

Srsly, there's a pacing problem in every anime I follow this season ...

Also I have to agree: if you wanna make a gay romance => just do it, there's nothing wrong with it FFS !
Srsly, the whole "it's not gay but the two male are really really really really close and really really really really emotional and really really really really into each other problems and they really really really really want to help the other but scout's honor it's not gay" ... for christ sake, I've watched lakorns (and just finished another one this week, "don't touch my gang" if you wanna know, it was cool) with gay romance that were less subtle than that and they were openly gay. (-_-)"

Apart from that, today was a bland tearjerker, but I'm left with a terrible question: WTF this show's about ?
At first, it was supposed to be about racing but more on the human side, getting better, making effort ... but it's been a while and know it's more about "a kid died in a tsunami but I am the victim because I took a picture".
I mean ... decency ? Please ?
Like I said before it's like the writer doesn't know what to tell ... and it shows because after 9 eps it's nowhere. :/
Nov 26, 2023 1:52 PM
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Nov 2015
161
otakuweek said:
@IAmVento lol, i was not ready for that...

obvisouly not, maybe between a big bro and his little brother...

I wouldn’t say obviously not 😂 I’d say 20% chance of full yaoi ending
Nov 26, 2023 1:54 PM

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Mar 2019
3323
What's that Madoka? didn't you ask to heat the onigiris? 🍙

¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯
Nov 26, 2023 1:58 PM

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Jul 2013
197
Best anime episode of 2023 by far.
Nov 26, 2023 2:07 PM

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Aug 2020
3712
Reply to IAmVento
otakuweek said:
@IAmVento lol, i was not ready for that...

obvisouly not, maybe between a big bro and his little brother...

I wouldn’t say obviously not 😂 I’d say 20% chance of full yaoi ending
@IAmVento if they do that i will change my note to 4 (lol)
otakuweek (100k Followers) on insta for News /best recom etc

just have a look, you won't regret it...

Link below:

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Nov 26, 2023 2:16 PM
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Nov 2015
161
otakuweek said:
@IAmVento if they do that i will change my note to 4 (lol)

I can’t wait to see lol
Nov 26, 2023 3:57 PM

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Dec 2018
3998
Holy crap, that was...hard. They certainly didn't pull any punches with this episode.
Nov 26, 2023 4:13 PM

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Apr 2022
6477
okay yeah yeah trauma, we geddit. just get to the good part already.
Nov 26, 2023 4:14 PM
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May 2020
511
And yet another reason this show is in my top ten for the season

Fall 2023

01 Pluto
02 Undead Unluck
03 Kusuriya no Hitorigoto
04 Mahoutsukai no Yome Season 2 Part 2
05 Overtake!
06 Spy x Family Season 2
07 Sousou no Frieren
08 Houkago Shounen Hanako-kun
09 Houkago no Breath
10 Under Ninja
Nov 26, 2023 4:15 PM

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Jan 2018
465
At this point, it is not really about the racing at all. It's a pure drama anime concentrated on the two main characters, with racing at the sideline.


Anyway, I hope Kouya will moves forward at this point and continue to support Haruka. We're still waiting on that podium finish and a sweet photo.
Nov 26, 2023 7:10 PM

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Oct 2017
160
OMG that was intense. Episode got me to tear up 2x.
Nov 26, 2023 9:54 PM

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Mar 2021
173
Possibly the most emotional episode yet. The backstory of Kouya and Little Momo got me 😭 The stare into the camera seconds before she passed...

I hope Kouya was able to overcome his ptsd after that final scene with her grandfather & seeing the photo of all three of them together smiling.

5/5 for this ep
Respectfully ofc

Nov 26, 2023 10:57 PM

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Apr 2009
775
Hey this episode actually had racing!



(lol)

This said the set-up with the dual protagonist makes it at least different from the 1m of copy pasted sport anime, even if it ends up in the awkward zone where the photo drama ended up being better written and portrayed than the actual racing.

Too bad many people aren't watching it, it reminds be a bit of Run with the Wind in term of "grounded" execution and general feeling. I guess not enough cute girls and underage slave love interest for the the average anime watcher nowadays.

Nov 27, 2023 12:31 AM

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Jul 2020
238
Wow I didn't expect to see that from a racing anime.

Nov 27, 2023 3:35 AM
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Oct 2023
7
If anyone is still towing the misguided "Kouya is a sociopath," line after this, they're just being willfully dense. Absolutely wild seeing people trying to see the worst in these characters.

And yes, it's a character drama set in a racing backdrop. If you need so badly for it to be a straight racing anime, you have other options. Enjoy.
Nov 27, 2023 4:56 AM

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Dec 2016
1352
Reply to Hedless_Bill
If anyone is still towing the misguided "Kouya is a sociopath," line after this, they're just being willfully dense. Absolutely wild seeing people trying to see the worst in these characters.

And yes, it's a character drama set in a racing backdrop. If you need so badly for it to be a straight racing anime, you have other options. Enjoy.
@Hedless_Bill

Character dramas also need to know how to introduce content that shift the characters into the direction the writer wants them to. This episode it's pretty much unnecesary padding and beating on a dead horse.

_____________________________________________________________________

I agree with @helldraco We have been bombarded with Madoka's trauma since day one and it feels quite unnecesary to give a whole episode to just add up more unwanted context on how it happened, not to mention such a weak tear jerker.

Good to see in the preview that we're going back to Harunaga and Tokumaru's issues in the next one.
Nov 27, 2023 6:11 AM

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May 2015
3228
Reply to IAmVento
I spent most of this episode with a puzzled look on my face trying to figure out if this show is boys love or not
@IAmVento
Just because people care about each other doesn't mean they are in love. Can we not forget that other forms of relationships exist, not just romance?
Nov 27, 2023 7:16 AM

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Jan 2021
2563
This is way less about the F4 than I expected
Nov 27, 2023 9:43 AM
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Jul 2022
14
Rytakahashi09 said:
So is this anime about racing or about healing a pedo-gay traumatic photographer?

No wonder this has worse score than MFG

You’re just mentally retarded firstly man was married secondly this just shows you’re weird fantasies, you sick fuvk
Nov 27, 2023 10:23 AM
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Nov 2015
161
Ten said:
@IAmVento
Just because people care about each other doesn't mean they are in love. Can we not forget that other forms of relationships exist, not just romance?

I agree with your point but I dont think the authors agree with you. That was clearly insinuated BL
Nov 27, 2023 10:35 AM

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May 2019
196
We finally had some closure on Kouya's backstory, and I must say, it was executed beautifully. I won't go into a deep dive of what can be learned from this episode—in fact, you can probably find insightful commentary on some streaming sights—but we now have a clearer understanding of Kouya's perspective, with some aid from Haruka.

There were also some realistic commentary that I love yet depressingly agree with. Firstly, great emphasis was placed on what photographers face, especially in times of tragedy, and the subsequent trauma that is associated with it. As how it was translated, "[Photographs] only capture that one moment. They don't tell the viewer what happened before or after I pressed the shutter." Secondly, because of this lack of context, people are willing to point fingers around just to be absolved from responsibility; an accurate reflection of the present.

In terms of artistic choices, I'm glad the studio didn't add the original OP & ED themes, instead opting for a more mellow approach with traditional scrolling end credits, and the inclusion of a touchy historical reference was greatly welcomed.
Nov 27, 2023 11:08 AM

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Jan 2018
401
The "Saigon Execution" was an insta wikipedia read for me. Was not expecting to get cultured in photography this way. It also added depth to Kouya's backstory a lot.
sezbian lex
Nov 27, 2023 11:44 AM

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May 2019
2775
I also did not expect this series to go this route as I also thought it would primarily be about racing but regardless I'm glad that Kouya got that large weight off his shoulders and now I'm hoping/expecting to see more racing. What I'm wondering is what team will Haruka be racing for although with Kouya back I think it will be with the original team.
Nov 27, 2023 2:06 PM
Ero Ojisan

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Jun 2019
5293
Words cannot explain how emotional this episode was to a point where I nearly cried at the end. I liked how this episode was crafted by giving us some feel good funny moments before getting to the depressing stuff. I'm glad Haruka was there to an emotional pillar for Kouya so he can finally move on.
Nov 27, 2023 3:44 PM
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Dec 2016
7
Reply to IAmVento
Ten said:
@IAmVento
Just because people care about each other doesn't mean they are in love. Can we not forget that other forms of relationships exist, not just romance?

I agree with your point but I dont think the authors agree with you. That was clearly insinuated BL
@IAmVento
let me guess you think the Hobbit-parts of LOTR are BL too? You people need to go outside and actually touch grass, make human connections etc.
Nov 27, 2023 4:57 PM
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Oct 2012
121
For it's duration, I've always found Kouya to be the weakest character of the show. Colour me surprised.
Nov 27, 2023 5:45 PM
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Jan 2022
5
10\10 not the series u expect from racing anime.
Nov 27, 2023 6:15 PM
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Aug 2015
181
Where were you when TROYCA dropped literally one of the best anime episodes of the year. I'm still tearing up from that episode
Nov 28, 2023 4:58 AM
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Nov 2015
161
ZGerman said:
@IAmVento
let me guess you think the Hobbit-parts of LOTR are BL too? You people need to go outside and actually touch grass, make human connections etc.

You’re really gonna tell me to touch grass and then reference specific scenes from the hobbit 😂
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