“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust
and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again,
because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive
to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in
a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who
at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall
never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
This quote from Theodore Roosevelt has always given me the shivers.
It is essentially a retelling of the phrase “Better to have tried and failed than to
have never tried at all,” but written so eloquently that it somehow feels simultaneously
motivating… and provoking.
His mention of “cold and timid souls” is only given less than half a sentence at
the very end, as if those souls are hardly worth a mention at all, except out of obligation.
I’m always immediately filled with the desire to prevent myself from ever being one of those
souls.
This season’s Run with the Wind is the embodiment of this quote for me.
Haiji has got to know that there’s no way his team is anywhere near ready for Hakone
Ekiden.
They’re out of shape, lack motivation, and are competing against those that seemingly
have been at it their whole lives.
And yet, I can perfectly imagine Haij’s smarmy smile telling me that that doesn’t
matter.
However great sports anime may be, I think there’s a inherently a disconnect for the
large majority of people considering to watch them.
Like I mentioned in my last video, even against your better judgement, there’s always that
nagging voice before you pick up a show that says “Oh, what do I know about archery,”
or “I’ve never even heard of karuta.”
Just like how you’re more willing to put up with a show you have a unique connection
with (I suffered through five freakin’ episodes of Two Car due to my love of motorcycles),
you have that barrier to jump through for a show whose subject you aren’t already
invested in.
I think a great boon of Run with the Wind is that it doesn’t have to deal with any
of that.
While I’ve never strung a bow, I’ve definitely gone running before.
I can imagine my lungs burning, my muscles aching, and my arms desperately flopping around
for some sense of momentum.
It’s easy to wrap your head around the idea of tying running directly to dedication and
motivation because I don’t know about you, I don’t usually stop running because I’ve
exerted every ounce of my strength.
Usually it’s because I’ve been drained of my will to keep going.
Many other sports shows seem to always start out in the middle of someone’s career.
This makes sense, you rarely want to spend crucial time on showing the fundamentals being
learned, when most of the intrigue is further into the sport—the big tournaments, established
rivals, et cetera.
Run with the Wind sidesteps this by having the best of both worlds.
It’s college setting means that it can afford to have its cast to be at a variety of different
points in their lives.
You have those who are young and eager, those who have grown cynical for whatever reason,
and those who are new to running, but are willing to give it a try.
For those who actually have knowledge of the intricacies involved, you have Kakeru, the
once-burned former competitive runner, and Haiji, who straddles the line between coach
and mad-man.
What this results in is a show that has a little something for everyone, and a premise
that most people can relate to.
Hibike!
Euphonium was a great watch, but I had the extra bonus of having been in orchestra in
high school.
So I knew how it felt to practice in preparation for a big concert, the interactions and politics
that happen in the meantime, and of course, the rush of adrenaline that comes with walking
on stage.
And while Hibike isn’t really about all of that, I definitely think it adds to the
experience.
In contrast, while many may not have known what Hakone Ekiden is (I know I didn’t)
you just need to take away that it’s almost insurmountable odds.
Like I said earlier, most people know how running feels, and the show hasn’t focused
too much on the technical stuff thus far.
As a result, more focus is placed on character motivations and how they relate to running.
I think running itself is unique as a competitive sport, because really, it’s more of a battle
against yourself.
Yes, there is a person directly competing with you, and their presence may push you.
But at the end of the day, you’re just trying to run the best you can.
Theoretically you could wear a blindfold and still do fine, as long as you don’t need
to take any turns.
Try doing that while boxing and you might have a bad time.
It’s this aspect that brings me to the end of this video, and my favorite character … Prince.
He truly is the “man in the arena,” but instead of being marred with dust and sweat
and blood, he just has to deal with the sweat and maybe grass stains.
Even though he’s about as good at running as I am, he’s at the very least beating
me.
And when he gives his speech directed at Kakeru’s slimy former runmate, I get the impression
that he’s a better runner than that dude could ever hope to be.
Thanks for watching!
Be sure to like and subscribe for more content, or if you’d like you can donate
to my patreon.
Big thanks to “A Certain Scientific Taluun,” “Akirvom,” “Ani-me-stuck,” and “CakeGamer632.”
And of course, if anything I said was wrong, I’m sorry.
I must’ve stuttered.