Kakeru from "Run With the Wind"
Short essay about why this is my favorite anime
This anime isn't perfect or anything, but the timing of it's airing and how I was able to relate to every character in some way made it 10/10 for me. It aired in the fall of 2018, which just happened to be my last high school cross country season, making it that much more impactful for me, as I was saying goodbye to a lot of my teammates. The rate at which the characters improve was not realistic at all, but the show did a great job of conveying the feeling of self improvement the sport brings. It really felt like this story was made for me tbh.