Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru

[Guardian Enzo]

Those numbers seemed very odd for me. Why was the cutoff time for the 10K faster per K than the 5K? That made no sense.

Also, I believe Kakeru said that every runner on the roster had to meet the cutoff times, so having faster runners pick up the pace isn’t an option.

[Cloudedmind]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

The pace of the Hakone Ekiden is indeed insanely fast, if everyone is running 5km in less than 14-and-a-half minutes.

We're talking about mostly amateur athletes here, and yet they're expected to perform at the level of world-class marathoners. To put it in perspective, the current men's world record for a full marathon of 42km is about 2 hours. That's 21km in about an hour, or 10.5km in 30min, or 5.25km in 15min. So, yes, we're talking about world-record marathon speeds here.

I was regularly running 2.4km in 9min 30sec by the time I was 18, and the best I've ever achieved was 2.4km in 8min 45sec — or roughly 5km in 18min 15sec — after a full year of military training. By the end of that particular run, my lungs were on fire, and every gasp for air burned.

Obviously, Prince will never be able to reach such speeds, and that'll mean it's up to stronger runners like Haiji and Kurahara to pick up the slack. It's going to be a herculean task.

Do you mean Akane, Mr. Butterfly boy? I don't know, I wouldn't find it completely unbelievable if he became one of the faster members of the group. While hard work is definitely important, "talent" or what I like to call genetic potential is also plays a factor. Each of us is built differently and as such may excel at certain things once we put our minds to it. While Akane is currently the slowest that seems to be because he's never really done any physical activity. Now that he's being forced to do so, and if he begins to push himself, he may actually find he's built for running.

[Kanon]

How does the ranking even work? I assume they add up the time of the members of each team? I do think better runners can pick up the slack of their slower teammates, otherwise what's even the point of running as a team? The qualifiers may work differently though, hence why Haiji said that.

[Guardian Enzo]

Yes, my impression was that rule was for the qualies, not the race itself.

[Anh_Minh]

The race is a relay. They each run about 20 kilometers.

[Guardian Enzo]

Did anyone suggest it wasn't?

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Did anyone suggest it wasn't?

I did. That totally slipped my mind. It's kinda obvious that's what it is, now that I think about it.

[Guardian Enzo]

Sorry, I missed that comment.

[Kanon]

Prince is faster than butterflies now! Amazing! He was pretty cool in this ep. It appears he does have great potential.

We got to see a bit of Kakaru's past, but the details are still hazy. Not too hard to guess what happened though.

[Kanon]

Mostly a training episode, with a bit of development for a few characters. Felt bad for King and Prince, for completely different reasons.

[shmaster]

Wow wow wow, I never know Uchiyama can sound like that.

[LG-MAX 2.o]

so I would like you to answer one thing, I read in another forum that the quality of the anime drops dramatically after the first episode, is it true?

[shmaster]

Depends on what you mean by quality.
If you mean the art and drawing, it fluctuates here and there.
If you mean by plot and narrative, it is pretty stable.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by LG-MAX 2.o

so I would like you to answer one thing, I read in another forum that the quality of the anime drops dramatically after the first episode, is it true?

I must say I don't understand queries like these. Why rely on random forum comments when you can just watch the show yourself? You can watch the first three episodes of most anime series in an hour.

[LG-MAX 2.o]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

I must say I don't understand queries like these. Why rely on random forum comments when you can just watch the show yourself? You can watch the first three episodes of most anime series in an hour.

some people do not have much free time and may only have the chance to watch entertainment programs on vacation, and so it's normal to ask if it's a program whether it's worth it or not for people who've already watched

Depends on what you mean by quality.
If you mean the art and drawing, it fluctuates here and there.
If you mean by plot and narrative, it is pretty stable.

Thanks for replying, I'll put it on my list.

[Kanon]

Next week is the track meet already. They're bound to fail, Prince would need to reduce his time by more than half to make it. Seems like Haiji knows they'll fail, and hopes it will bring them closer together and increase their determination.

[PreSage]

I find Haiji to be the most interesting character out of them all. I just get a sense that he hides a painful past behind that smile and determination. We may have caught another brief glimpse of it in the latest episode when he told King he can empathize with him.

And I also have to wonder with Kakeru why Haiji is putting so much effort to help this group of misfits (misfits in running that is). I'm sure he can probably find good, real runners to put together instead of random individuals like these guys.

And I really have to commend Prince on his efforts. The guy can actually finish 5 km in little over half an hour. I'd probably just collapse in the middle of it and not even finish.

[monir]

Originally Posted by PreSage

And I really have to commend Prince on his efforts. The guy can actually finish 5 km in little over half an hour. I'd probably just collapse in the middle of it and not even finish.

Your body is much more resilient than that. If you just walk for an hour 5 days a week for two weeks, you will be able to finish 5k under half an hour. And that just with walking.

[Haak]

Man, I don't know what to think about this show. I really want to like it but the whole "slavery is a choice" shit can be a real turn off when they're shoving it down your throat, especially with the extra team spirit "nakama" cheese topping.

I mean The Great Passage also features characters roped into doing a job they didn't ask for but it's not like they were against it and at least they were paid for it.

[leongsh]

Originally Posted by Haak

Man, I don't know what to think about this show. I really want to like it but the whole "slavery is a choice" shit can be a real turn off when they're shoving it down your throat, especially with the extra team spirit "nakama" cheese topping.

They could move out from the dorm. Yes, they would forego the cheap place to stay that includes breakfast and dinner provided. It is a choice that they have and can take. It just takes a couple to do so and Haiji would not have the 10 runners he needs. The coach/landlord allowed Haiji to lead and take part in the event only if he had the 10 runners for it. By choosing to stay on at Track and Field Team Training Dorm, they are obliged to join the practices and at the mercy of the Track and Field Team requirements.

EDIT:
Let's look at each one of them:

Nico-chan:
He could potentially move out but he's fine where he is. The rent's cheap, he gets 2 meals included, and the money he saves he uses it to feed his nicotine habit. He does software development in his spare time to earn money. He could leave if he wanted to but he has sympathy for Haiji and humours him.

Yuki:
He's passed his bar exam. His final year is a coast. The money that he saves by staying at the dorm with its cheap rent and the 2 meals provided, he uses it go clubbing. Can he afford to move out? He should be if he has the money to go clubbing. Thus, if anyone has the means to leave the dorm and the Track and Field club/team, he can and by doing so, scupper Haiji's dream by leaving. But he doesn't. Why doesn't he? He seems to have a love/hate relationship with the people in the dorm.

King:
He's searching for a job in his final year. His finances are not clear but he does have some money to go mahjong gambling to spend his time. He goes to Shindou's room to watch the quiz shows. That points towards not having the means to buy a TV. Thus, he is unlikely to have the funds to move out and stay at another place.

Shindou:
From what little we know about him, he comes from the Yamagata countryside area due to Haiji disclosing that he comes from Yamagata and walks a distance over hilly terrain to get to school and back. He may not have the funds to move out and stay at another place. That said, he seems happy to join in the practice and the runs to try for the Hakone Ekiden. He is in the Business course and thus, finds himself taking an interest in the funding for the team.

Musa:
He's screwed. On government scholarship and working part-time to earn his allowances. He is also indebted to Haiji who introduced him to the part-time job. He doesn't have any choice. He has sort of come around in part due to Shindou.

Ouji:
He's screwed and this is because of his manga collection. The money he saves by staying at the dorm, he likely spends it on manga. With tons of manga accumulated in his room, he would need to spend a lot of money to move out. Plus, that's not even considering whether he can find a suitable place to rent to have space for himself and his manga collection.

The twins:
They are airheads. They have been brainwashed by Haiji to run.

Kakeru:
The dorm is the perfect place for him. Cheap, 2 meals, and a Track and Field club.