Episodes: 26

Year: 2007

Status: Ongoing

Subbed by: Toki Fansubs

Overdrive Official Site (Japanese)

Rating: Great

Review: Shinozaki Mikoto is the high school’s biggest loser. He is clumsy, is good at practically nothing and has no ambition in life. All of this soon changes when Mikoto is convinced by Fukazawa Yuki (the girl he has a crush on) to join the school’s Bicycle Club. With Yuki’s help, Mikoto learns to ride a bicycle (yes, he didn’t know how before this…) and joins the club. Mikoto finds himself swept away in the world of bicycle road-racing. Overdrive follows the story of Shinozaki Mikoto and how he pursues his dreams of becoming the world’s best cyclist.

I think what sets this anime apart from the rest is that its not all about sports. Although most of it has to do with Shinozaki’s passion for cycling, there is decent attention to how he develops as a person as well as his untold feelings for Yuki. My favourite part of the anime is how intense it gets with the races… that’s just amazing. I also liked how it differed from Suzuka since Mikoto cycles for the love of it rather than for a girl. Overdrive has a great storyline and is refreshingly different from most of the high school anime. Watch it!

If you like Overdrive, check out:

Suzuka : Another sports-based high school anime with a heavier emphasis on romance and relationships.

History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi : This one’s got a bit more humour than Overdrive and focusses more on martial arts training.

Bamboo Blade : A lighthearted anime revolving around the sport of Kendo and an all-female high school teams journey in pursuing Kendo.