Speed Racer

Voices of: Katsuji Mori (52 episodes), Peter Fernandez (52 episodes), Jack Curtis (52 episodes), Corrine Orr (52 episodes), Jack Grimes (52 episodes)
Directed by: Hiroshi Sasagawa (52 episodes)
Rating: TV-Y7
Genre: Anime, Action, Adventure
1967-1968

Seasons Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Speed Racer competes in the most challenging motor car racing events around the globe and with his dedicated family, engage in numerous adventures.

Review:

Tim: I barely have words to describe how important the original Speed Racer television series was to me. I first watched it as a child, and I loved it. It was more grown-up than many of the shows I'd watched (violence, explosions, continuous excitement) and I fell in love with the characters and the famous Mach 5. It was one of my favorite shows, and I never forgot it (or its insanely catchy theme song). I've always been a big fan- when the live action movie came out, I couldn't wait to see it. I still think it's one of the best, most criminally underrated movies of the 21st century. While I'd watched nearly every episode of the television series in my youth, I wanted to ensure I watched all 52 episodes, so I embarked upon this journey with my son. He might have been 8 when we started. Over the course of a year, we watched all the episodes. Along the way, my 6 year-old daughter joined. She's seen probably 40+ of them and watched at least the last thirty with us. We had a blast watching this show, and it's one that holds up- I first watched it almost 30 years after its initial release, and I watched it with my kids 50+ years later.

What I love about the whole series is the establishment of these iconic characters. I know they were based on the Japanese manga, so credit where it is due. But, to watch so many episodes with these incredible characters is a true delight. Speed Racer, Trixie, Pops, Mom, Spritle, Chim-Chim, Racer X. This family is wonderfully drawn- each character (except Mom) has their own unique identity and quirks. You watch this series and you just fall in love with them. I thought the story of Speed and his family was so compelling- you have an older, mysterious brother who has disappeared (and the show never ceases to remind us of Racer X's secret identity). You have the middle brother, Speed, who is a racing champion and all-around adventurer. You have the girlfriend (depicted in not the best way at times, Japan in the 1960s, you know...), Trixie, who manages to help more often than you'd expect them to allow. Spritle and Chim-Chim are comic relief, their crazy shenanigans lightening the mood. Plus, they always manage to save the day because they stole away in the car's trunk. These characters just feel so unique and memorable. I loved watching their recurring adventures.

Watching all the episodes in a row (over the course of probably a year- we took some long breaks) was interesting. Plus, it's always iffy watching a children's show as an adult. I can say that for the most part, the episodes hold up. The first dozen are incredible, because there's a lot of races and it's introducing all these characters. Then, the quality drops some as the series progresses. The last twenty or so were challenging for me- the episodes offer a lot more of random adventures and fewer great race scenes. These start to appear redundant and they're often culturally insensitive. I did lose steam somewhat- it feels like everyone freezes for two dozen episodes and there's not much progression, not much new. The series does pull together for its few episodes- there's a great one featuring Racer X, and then the amazing two-part finale, Race Around the World. The series was always best when Speed was racing in actual races, or faced a clear competitor he had to beat. The adventure scenes offered a lot of shooting and fistfights, but they were usually not as compelling. I admit, it was hard to focus on some of the latter episodes. I didn't have that problem as a kid. My own children were pretty well interested- the episodes held their attention much better than it did me.

I did appreciate how the series is aimed at slightly older audiences. Plus, the passage of time pushes this further down the mature scale. There's explosions, gunfights, fistfights- a surprising amount of violence. It's depicted in a way that felt okay for kids. Truthfully, maybe I shouldn't have let my daughter watch it- I likely wouldn't have let my son watch at that age. That's the challenge with second kids, though. She wanted to watch with us, and I didn't have the heart to exclude her. It was cool to see how much she grew to love the characters, too. She was as engaged in the shows as my son and I were. I think it's okay, and I love that she and my son are now so familiar with these wonderful characters and their adventure stories.

I do want to acknowledge the fantastic theme song. It's one of my all-time favorites. It's so catchy, and the animation is so fast-paced and exciting that it was something I looked forward to every episode. We never skipped the intro, not even once. I never do that, but we all loved the theme song so much. My favorite is the last animation, where Speed jumps out of the car and the "camera" swings around. It's iconic and it makes me happy every single time I hear it.

When I think about definitive television series from my youth, Speed Racer is absolutely up there. It's a wonderful series. Yes, silly and occasionally cringe-inducing as an adult. However, it's pure entertainment. I love the idea of a series of a young racing car driver and the characters, the Mach 5 with its alphabet buttons- it's just so brilliantly created. I'm an unabashed fan of this series- it's one of the best.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Series, We Recommend: Transformers, Johnny Quest