Speed Racer!

I've never much cared for Speed Racer. I never saw the show when I was young, and when I caught it on TV later it always confused me.

But the other day I was trying to burn up some credit at Best Buy and looking for something of interest. Their racks were bereft of vintage material in my price range, until I stumbled across a box set of dvds with the original Speed Racer cartoons from the late 60's. Attracted by the handsome package, I rolled the dice.

And I'm glad I did. The episodes are bright, colorful, and watching them carefully, they do indeed make sense. I've learned a lot about Speed and his family in the last 24 hours, and I have to say there's a lot to recommend here. I never imagined the cartoon was a blend of Elvis in Viva Las Vegas and James Bond in Goldfinger (the Aston Martin don't you know)-- a heady brew indeed. The Mach 5 is pretty dang cool I'll have to admit. And I don't know if it's me, but the characters seem vivid and real in ways I never imagined possible. I get a Jonny Quest vibe off the cartoon. There's a contrast between an exotic homelife and adventure that twists and turns in unexpected ways.



I'm anxious to see more and learn more about Speed and his world. I'd like to get a glance at some of the original Mangas, to get a sense of where the characters roots come from. I've never been a fan of Anime, but early examples do fascinate me somewhat for the historical context they thrive in.

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