Run with the Wind

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.

Run with the Wind (2018-2019) is a Japanese animated sports drama adapted from the novel by Shion Miura, produced by Production I.G for Nippon TV. Former high school running prodigy Kakeru Kurahara (voiced by Takeo Otsuka) is caught stealing food and rescued by Haiji Kiyose (voiced by Toshiyuki Toyonaga), a Kansei University runner who persuades him to join a plan at the old Chikuseisou apartment. The engine of the story is a ragged group of residents, almost all complete novices, training under Kakeru and Haiji with a single target: qualifying for the Hakone Ekiden, one of the most prominent university relay marathons in Japan. Each episode is built from grueling practice runs, personal setbacks, rivalries, and slow gains in endurance and trust, with supporting characters like Akane Kashiwazaki (Miyu Irino) and Musa Kamala (Hideaki Kabumoto) filling out the house. The single season runs twenty-three episodes as one continuing arc. Set in contemporary Tokyo and the surrounding university world, the series carries a sincere, warm, sweat-streaked atmosphere that favors perseverance over spectacle. Fans of Haikyu!!, Hajime no Ippo and Cool Runnings will find resonance in its underdog spirit and team bonding.

Audiences broadly rate it as an acclaimed sports anime that captures the drive and camaraderie of novice runners training for a demanding university relay.

• Haikyu!!shared sports underdog team training, rivalry and perseverance tones, seinen-leaning drama
• Hajime no Ipposhared underdog athletic ambition and ensemble of misfits training together, earnest sincere tone
• Cool Runningsshared inspirational sports competition with a driven protagonist and team bonding, uplifting register

Release Date

2018-10-03

Episode runtime

23 min

Rating

8.3 / 10 (73)

What is Run with the Wind about?

A former elite high school runner joins a ragged group of dormitory residents who are all novices as they aim to enter Japan's prestigious Hakone Ekiden relay.

What is Run with the Wind like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Run with the Wind as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Run with the Wind violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Run with the Wind.

What did critics think of Run with the Wind?

Audiences broadly rate it as an acclaimed sports anime that captures the drive and camaraderie of novice runners training for a demanding university relay.

Which shows are like Run with the Wind?

Shows with a similar feel include Haikyu!!, Hajime no Ippo, and Cool Runnings.

How long is Run with the Wind?

Run with the Wind: 1 season, 23 episodes.

Is Run with the Wind still running?

No, Run with the Wind has ended.

Where can I watch Run with the Wind?

In United States, Run with the Wind streams on Crunchyroll Amazon Channel.