is a Japanese
futuristic
The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...
motorsports
Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of tw ...
anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
television series produced by
Asatsu-DK,
VAP and
Sunrise
Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects.
Terminology ...
. The series originally aired between March 15 and December 20, 1991 on
Nippon TV
JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed ...
and was later followed by four OVA series respectively titled: ''Double One'', ''Zero'', ''Saga'', and ''Sin''. These OVAs are collectively known as . It has also been adapted into multiple games, artbooks, toys, audio dramas, and novels.
Outside of Japan, the series has aired in the Philippines by
ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Philippine commercial broadcast network that serves as the flagship property of ABS-CBN Corporation, a company under L ...
for
Hero TV, and in Italy on
Italia 1
Italia 1 (Italian pronunciation ) is an Italian free-to-air television channel on the Mediaset network, owned by MFE - MediaForEurope. It is oriented at both young and adult people.
Italia 1 was launched on 3 January 1982 and, originally, was ...
. An English-subtitled DVD boxset of the TV series has also been released by
Bandai
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine ...
in 2003.
Medialink
Medialink Group Limited is a content distributor and licensor based in Kowloon, Hong Kong specializing in the distribution of Japanese anime and brand licensing. Its offices are located at Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.
Registered from Hong Kon ...
licensed the full series across Asia-Pacific in 2021.
Summary
In the near future, Cyber Formula, an automobile race in a different category from
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship ...
, with cars equipped with
pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...
-free engines such as hydrogen engines and
room-temperature superconducting motors, and
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machine
A machine is a physical system using Power (physics), power to apply Force, forces and control Motion, moveme ...
for
navigation
Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, ...
, is gaining popularity. The story is about the protagonist, Hayato Kazami, who was accidentally registered as a driver of Asurada, a Cyber Formula machine developed by his father. He enters the Cyber Formula Grand Prix and grows up through a cycle of setbacks and triumphs.
The TV series, which aired in 1991, is set in 2015, and the sequel OVAs ''11 (Double One)'' through ''SAGA'' are set in the years 2016–2020, mainly from the perspective of Sugo Asurada (later Sugo Grand Prix and Sugo Winners), one of the teams competing in the 10th-15th Cyber Formula World Grand Prix, with Hayato as the main character.
The OVA ''SIN'' is set in the 16th–17th Cyber Formula World Grand Prix in 2021–2022, and features Bleed Kaga (Jōtarō Kaga) as the main character in a fierce life-or-death struggle with Hayato, who has come to be known as the young emperor of the circuit.
Although
non-canon, the 18th (2023) Cyber Formula tournament can be played in the game ''Future GPX Cyber Formula: Road to the Infinity 2'' for PlayStation 2, and in ''Future GPX Cyber Formula: Road to the Infinity 3'', in addition to the 18th tournament, the 19th (2024) tournament can be played in the Scenario Mode. Although the production staff of the original anime cooperated in the creation of these games, the publisher, Sunrise Interactive, has adopted the stance that these games are "non-canon sequels."
Production
''Future GPX Cyber Formula'' was animated by
Sunrise
Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects.
Terminology ...
and produced by entertainment company
VAP and
advertising agency
An advertising agency, often referred to as a creative agency or an ad agency, is a business dedicated to creating, planning, and handling advertising and sometimes other forms of promotion and marketing for its clients. An ad agency is generall ...
Asatsu-DK, and was aired on early Friday mornings from March 15 to December 20, 1991 on
Nippon TV
JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed ...
. The series was
Mitsuo Fukuda's directorial debut. When the project was first planned, it was largely intended for children, and the style was that cars with artificial intelligence would run through strange places in an obstacle race-like manner, clashing with each other along the way. It was planned to be like ''
Speed Racer
''Speed Racer'', also known as , is a Japanese media franchise about Auto racing, automobile racing. ''Mach GoGoGo'' was originally serialized in print in Shueisha's 1966 ''Shōnen Book''. It was released in tankōbon book form by Sun W ...
'', and the races in the TV series were described as a triathlon of motor sports, as they were not only on circuits and city courses, but also on gravel surfaces and ice. However, the F1 boom led to a change to a full-fledged racing series. The futuristic car designs were done by
Shōji Kawamori
is a Japanese anime creator and producer, screenwriter, visual artist, and mecha designer. He is best known for creating the ''Macross'' mecha anime franchise and the ''Diaclone'' toyline, which were in turn the basis for the ''Robotech'' and ...
, known for his
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997:36 ...
design in the ''
Macross
is a Japanese science fiction mecha anime media franchise/ media mix, created by Studio Nue (most prominently mecha designer, writer and producer Shōji Kawamori) and Artland in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth and t ...
'' series.
Red Company
is a video game developer and publisher based in Japan. Originally founded in 1976 as (though it did not begin doing business until 1985), it was reorganized and succeeded by a new company on December 4, 2000, under its current moniker of Red ...
was involved in the production of the TV series, as it was with ''
Mashin Hero Wataru
is a mecha multimedia franchise originally created by Sunrise and Red Entertainment. The first series aired on April 15, 1988, replacing the 17:00–17:30 timeslot used for '' Transformers: The Headmasters''. Sunrise credited " Hajime ...
'', and the company's Chōji Yoshikawa was in charge of directing the series structure handled by Hiroyuki Hoshiyama. According to Yoshikawa, the sponsor,
Takara
Takara Co., Ltd. (株式会社タカラ) was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955. In March 2006, the company merged with Tomy Co., Ltd. to form Takara Tomy. The Takara motto was 遊びは文化」("playing is culture").
Products Toys
In ...
, wanted to show races on Friday's broadcast and release the winning car as a toy on Saturday. However, Yoshikawa decided to limit the number of races to one per month, as car racing required more artistic ability than an average robot anime, and thus the number of races was limited to 10 per year. Who would win where, and the final standings were created first.
Jun'ichi Kanemaru was chosen to play the role of Hayato, the main character of the TV series, in his first starring role,
but at the time of the audition, few anime had male voice actors playing 14-year-old boys, and since
Mayumi Tanaka
(born January 15, 1955) is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator. She voiced Monkey D. Luffy in ''One Piece'', Ryunosuke Fujinami in ''Urusei Yatsura'', Koenma in ''Yu Yu Hakusho'', Pazu in '' Laputa: Castle in the Sky'', Krillin, Y ...
had played the role of Wataru, the main character in the previous show, ''Mashin Hero Wataru'', it was assumed that
Shinobu Adachi
is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator from Tokyo, Japan.
Filmography Anime Television
;1980s
* ''The Wonderful Adventures of Nils'' (1980) – Gacho
* '' Maicching Machiko-sensei'' (1981) – Hiromi
* ''Urusei Yatsura'' (1981)
* ''Y ...
, another female voice actor, would also play the role of Hayato. However, there was a suggestion from within Sunrise to have Kanemaru, a male voice actor, participate in the tape audition, and although there were initial objections within the company, Kanemaru was ultimately selected through the audition.
Related media
OVA
Four sequel OVAs based on the TV series were produced. The first OVA, ''Future GPX Cyber Formula 11 (Double One)'', was released in 6-episode volumes between November 1, 1992 and June 1, 1993. The second, ''Future GPX Cyber Formula ZERO'', was released in 8 volumes between April 1, 1994 and February 1, 1995. The third, ''Future GPX Cyber Formula SAGA'', was released in 8 volumes between August 1, 1996 and July 2, 1997. The fourth and final OVA, ''
Future GPX Cyber Formula SIN
is a 1998 Japanese original video animation
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television ...
'', was released in 5 volumes between December 21, 1998 and March 17, 2000.
An additional two-episode OVA, ''Future GPX Cyber Formula EARLYDAYS RENEWAL'', was released between April and June 1996. The OVA recaps the events of the TV series with new scenes and voice acting, as well as some story changes.
Novels
A spinoff novel titled was published by Tairiku Shobo on August 21, 1992, written by the screenwriter of the TV series Toshirō Ōyama and illustrated by series character designer Takahiro Yoshimatsu. The novel depicts what happened after the first half of the TV series regarding Smith's plot against Asurada. A novel depicting Bleed Kaga's past, including the reason for the scar on his forehead, titled and written by series director Mitsuo Fukuda, was announced to be released by the same publisher on November 1992, but was cancelled due to Tairiku Shobo going bankrupt.
A novelization of the ''Saga'' arc of the OVA sequel series, written by Fukuda and illustrated by series original character designer
Mutsumi Inomata, was published by
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of Japanese dictionaries, dictionaries, literature, comics (manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.
Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are to ...
on April 1, 1998. The novelization covers the first half of the story up to episode 4 of the 8-episode OVA, although there are differences in the depiction of some details. A sequel covering the second half of the OVA was supposed to be written, but it was never completed.
Video games
The series has been adapted into several video games, including an eponymous
sugoroku
(literally 'double six') refers to two different forms of a Japanese board game: ''ban-sugoroku'' (盤双六, 'board-sugoroku') which is similar to western tables games like Backgammon, and ''e-sugoroku'' (絵双六, 'picture-sugoroku') which is ...
game for the
Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same te ...
(Barrier, February 28, 1992), an
eponymous top-down racing game for the
Super Famicom
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in ...
(
Takara
Takara Co., Ltd. (株式会社タカラ) was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955. In March 2006, the company merged with Tomy Co., Ltd. to form Takara Tomy. The Takara motto was 遊びは文化」("playing is culture").
Products Toys
In ...
, March 19, 1992, released in North America as ''Cyber Spin''), and a choice-based adventure game for the
PlayStation
is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...
titled (
VAP, March 18, 1999) where players take on the role of an original character, Seiichirō Shiba, a rookie driver, and enter a special race across the American continent called "Extreme Speed." The series has also been adapted into the ''Road to the Infinity'' series of real-time racing games published by Sunrise Interactive for the
PlayStation 2,
GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the W ...
and
PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 200 ...
between 2003-2008, and the ''Sin Cyber Grand Prix'' series of Sunrise-approved
doujin
In Japan, is a group of people who share an interest, activity, or hobby. The word is sometimes translated into English as "clique", "fandom", "coterie", "society", or "circle" (as in "sewing circle"). Self-published creative works produced b ...
PC games published by PROJECT YNP between 2003-2018.
Reception
The TV series won the
Animage
is a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine which Tokuma Shoten began publishing in July 1978. Hayao Miyazaki's internationally renowned manga, '' Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'', was serialized in ''Animage'' from 1982 through 1994. Ot ...
Anime Grand Prix in 1991.
References
External links
*
*
*
Studio Live page
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Future Gpx Cyber Formula
1991 anime television series debuts
1996 anime OVAs
Anime with original screenplays
Bandai Entertainment anime titles
Bandai Namco franchises
Fictional motorsports in anime and manga
Medialink
Nippon TV original programming
Sunrise (company)
Animated television series about auto racing
English-language television shows
Winner of Kodansha Manga Award (Shōnen)
Video games set in Hong Kong
Fiction set in 2015