Speed Racer

Author: Lana Wachowski

Another of the important steps in bringing what we know today as anime, Mach Go-Go-Go (called Speed Racer outside Japan) was one of the most iconic of all 1960s anime series. Telling the story of a racing family and the secretive Racer X, Speed Racer was somewhat simplistic compared to today's series, but also all the elements of today's frenetic adventure series are there, and the family dynamic is present as well, which some miss on the first pass at the series. What Speed Racer really represents is the longevity of characters. Speed Racer showed in the US from the mid-1960s through the 2000s, and was adapted into a comic strip and a big-budget Hollywood feature film. The design of the Mach-5 that Speed Drives, has been re-created as actual autos several times, and now stands as one of the most recogniseable symbols of 1960s design, as well as early television anime. Watching Speed Racer is like looking at the genesis of a planet; the continents aren't fully formed, but they're obviously starting to come together. Why it's on the list: one of the most important of all the 1960s anime, it influenced generations of animators around the world!