Speed Racer

Speed Racer is an animated series based on the Japanese manga, Mach GoGoGo by Tatsuo Yoshida. In 1967, the comic was adapted into an anime whose success quickly outweighed that of the original text. In the fall of '67, Trans-Lux, an American syndicator, bought the rights to air Mach GoGoGo in the states. The main character's name changed from Go Mifune to "Speed Racer." The show centered on the adventures of Speed and his racing team, including his girlfriend, Trixie, his little brother, Spritle, Spritle's chimpanzee, Chim-Chim, and his father, Pops Racer. Speed and his gang travel to auto races, and pit their incredible "Mach 5" against the fastest car in the world, including "the Shooting Star," driven by Speed's big brother, Racer X. The Speed Racer name and franchise have been wildly popular in both Japan and America over the past 40 years. In the US, the show is perhaps best known for its face past dialogue style. In order for the American voice over artists to fit complicated plot points into short dialogue shots, they had to speak as quickly as possible, usually gasping for breath at the end of every sentence. MORE