Run with the Wind

Run with the Wind is a sports drama based on a 2006 novel by Shion Miura, published in Japan by Shinchosha. The book was also made into a live-action film in 2009. Production I.G, a studio known for high-quality animation, made the TV anime, directed by Kazuya Nomura. It ran for 23 episodes, from October 2018 to March 2019.

The show is built around a real event, the Hakone Ekiden. An ekiden is a long-distance relay race where runners pass a cloth sash to the next team member, instead of a baton. The Hakone Ekiden is held every year on January 2 and 3. Teams of ten university students run in turns from central Tokyo to the mountain town of Hakone and back, over about 200 kilometers. It is shown live on national TV, and millions of people in Japan watch it every New Year. For university runners, it is a dream stage.

Kakeru Kurahara is a first-year student at Kansei University in Tokyo. In high school he was one of the best young runners in Japan, but he left the sport after trouble with his team. Now he is broke, alone and without a place to live. One night he is caught stealing food from a shop and runs away. A senior student named Haiji Kiyose sees him running and is amazed by his beautiful form. Haiji offers him a room at Chikusei-so, an old, cheap wooden house where Haiji and eight other students live.

Then Haiji reveals his real plan. The house is actually the dorm of the school's track club, and with Kakeru, they now have exactly ten people, just enough for an ekiden team. Haiji wants all of them to run in the Hakone Ekiden. There is one big problem: apart from Haiji and Kakeru, almost none of them are runners. Some have never exercised seriously at all.

The other housemates are a colorful group. There are the cheerful twins, Jota and Joji. Prince is a thin manga lover who would rather read than run. King loves TV quiz shows. Nico is an older student who smokes. Yuki is a sharp law student. Shindo comes from a small mountain village, and Musa is an exchange student from Tanzania. At first, most of them think Haiji's idea is crazy. Slowly, and not always happily, they begin to train.

The story is less about winning and more about why people run. Kakeru is fast, but he does not understand teamwork or why he keeps running. Haiji is calm and kind, but he carries his own worries, including an old knee injury. Each member has doubts and reasons to quit, and the show takes time to explore each of them.

Production I.G's running scenes are very realistic, with careful attention to breathing, form and effort. The series is slow at times, but its emotional build-up is strong. It is a great choice for anyone who likes stories about teamwork, friendship and pushing past your limits.