Series Recommendation: IGPX – Immortal Grand Prix
“I’m not here to lose. I’m here to show the world what I’m made of!”
Do you remember Cyber Formula? The mecha anime IGPX is Cyber Formula but with giant transforming robots instead. Sports x Mecha is perhaps the most underused trope combination ever. When people think about giant robots, they think about war, battle, conflict or sci-fi exploration etc… Most don’t think about sports with robots, much less sports with GIANT robots. We have some classic series like Iron leaguers, Dead Heat or Basquash!, but robots exist to push beyond the boundaries of what we currently have, and IGPX set out to break all the speed record we have for racing!
Take to the racecourse with team Satomi – a rising star that managed to qualify for the Immortal Grand Prix (IG1 for short). The main character is team Satomi’s vanguard, Takeshi, a hot-headed young man with a big dream: to win the IGPX just like his idol “Rocket G”. Along with his 2 teammates: Elizabeth and Amy, as well as their support staff, consisting of a coach and several mechanics, he aimed to defeat all the teams that have raced hundreds of matches more than him. The IG1 isn’t just a normal race, it is 3-round throwdown: the 1st round is the warm-up, from the 2nd round, racers can attack the other team (no killing allowed). Whoever cross the finish line first and accumulate more points will win the race. Can the hot-headed and naïve Takeshi lead his team to victory? Or will he be the downfall of team Satomi with his reckless attitude?
Take to the racecourse with team Satomi – a rising star that managed to qualify for the Immortal Grand Prix (IG1 for short). The main character is team Satomi’s vanguard, Takeshi, a hot-headed young man with a big dream: to win the IGPX just like his idol “Rocket G”. Along with his 2 teammates: Elizabeth and Amy, as well as their support staff, consisting of a coach and several mechanics, he aimed to defeat all the teams that have raced hundreds of matches more than him. The IG1 isn’t just a normal race, it is 3-round throwdown: the 1st round is the warm-up, from the 2nd round, racers can attack the other team (no killing allowed). Whoever cross the finish line first and accumulate more points will win the race. Can the hot-headed and naïve Takeshi lead his team to victory? Or will he be the downfall of team Satomi with his reckless attitude?
+ PLOT: The plot is straightforward. IGPX is a mixed between combat and sport, but the sport aspect is the key. Therefore, the plot doesn’t complicate much and is easy to follow. However, the 3 pilots of team Satomi got very good character development. With that said, the pacing of the show feels weird at times, and some race may leave unsatisfying feelings. Overall, it’s decently okay, but nothing too memorable.
+ Animation: The best aspect of the show. Even though the mechs are fully CGI, the fact that they are used as combat racecars make the animation choices completely okay. The mechs are coated in a shiny metallic texture and their movements are fluid but with delay after each move to make them seems mechanical. The combat in the show is really great.
+ Animation: T by Atsushi Takeuchi (GITS, Yukikaze) and Junya Ishigaki (Xenosaga, Gundam and Macross). Junya and Atsushi combine their expertise to create the machines for the anime. They are sleek and have a cyber-punk feel to them. The mechs can transition between the robot mode and speed mode seamlessly, which makes the anime seems more practical than it is.
+ Mecha Design: What if you take Cyber Formula super angled and aerodynamic design and give them limbs? The studio employs 2 teams: the 2D and 3D team. The 2D team consist of Junya Ishigaki and Atsushi Takeuchi – who will design the rough draft for the machines, and then the 3D team – which consist of Miki Yoshida, Toshio Kawaguchi, Hiroshi Soma and Satoshi Shimura to tweak it into 3D for the final product. The designs are sleek, attractive with the usual racecar paint job that really makes it pop. Since there is no “war” in the series, you can freely paint the machine to be as colorful as you like. however, you still have to take into account the function of the craft, which is…after all, to win the race. A race team in the show has 3 distinct position: the Forward, Midfielder and the Defense. Of course, the Forward is the vanguard type where he can achieve high speed but also have to possess the strength to break through enemy’s defense. The Midfielder is well protected, so they can be as light and fast as they can. The Defense position needs to be bulky and well-armored to stop the competition from breaking through. The races aren’t just one-man race, the entire team must work together in unison to bring home the victory!
+ Mecha Design: What if you take Cyber Formula super angled and aerodynamic design and give them limbs? The studio employs 2 teams: the 2D and 3D team. The 2D team consist of Junya Ishigaki and Atsushi Takeuchi – who will design the rough draft for the machines, and then the 3D team – which consist of Miki Yoshida, Toshio Kawaguchi, Hiroshi Soma and Satoshi Shimura to tweak it into 3D for the final product. The designs are sleek, attractive with the usual racecar paint job that really makes it pop. Since there is no “war” in the series, you can freely paint the machine to be as colorful as you like. however, you still have to take into account the function of the craft, which is…after all, to win the race. A race team in the show has 3 distinct position: the Forward, Midfielder and the Defense. Of course, the Forward is the vanguard type where he can achieve high speed but also have to possess the strength to break through enemy’s defense. The Midfielder is well protected, so they can be as light and fast as they can. The Defense position needs to be bulky and well-armored to stop the competition from breaking through. The races aren’t just one-man race, the entire team must work together in unison to bring home the victory!
+ Music: the Opening is a really hype song by Gran Rodeo. The OSTs during the races are also really good, getting you pumped up for the race (no Eurobeat tho lol).
+ Conclusion: Overall, IGPX is a great combat-sport mecha anime. It features awesome mech-on-mech action, but still keeping the racing aspect as a key point. However, you may find some pacing issues and weird side-characters action. I would still recommend this series as this is one of the few mecha anime that features combat racing.
To those that want to read onto how I.G Pro and the staff made IGPX, you can find really interesting interviews and notes here!
+ Conclusion: Overall, IGPX is a great combat-sport mecha anime. It features awesome mech-on-mech action, but still keeping the racing aspect as a key point. However, you may find some pacing issues and weird side-characters action. I would still recommend this series as this is one of the few mecha anime that features combat racing.
To those that want to read onto how I.G Pro and the staff made IGPX, you can find really interesting interviews and notes here!
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