Should we let Star Trek rest in peace?

[Blackstar the Chakat]

but no one who's replying to this is American. And every person I ask, including random people have been saying they've at least heard of Speed Racer.

[Sionnach Glic]

And? Virtualy everyone you ask, including random people, will have at least heard of Star Trek. That doesn't mean they have any clue about it, and it certainly doesn't make it mainstream.

[Captain Seafort]

The fact that people have "heard of" something does not automatically make it mainstream - it just means they're tangentially aware of its existence. Indeed, in this case the fact that so many of us are unaware of series a, b or c is an even more damning indictment, as a sci-fi forum would be naturally self-selecting towards those who are aware of the more obscure series.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

And? Virtualy everyone you ask, including random people, will have at least heard of Star Trek. That doesn't mean they have any clue about it, and it certainly doesn't make it mainstream.

did that too. Most common answer: Do you mean Star Wars?

But basically, every strait guy I've talked to has at one point or another seen Speed Racer and/or dreamed of driving the Mach 5.

[Sionnach Glic]

Good point. And there's also the fact that even if it was mainstream in the US, that's one country. Do you really think it's a good idea to make a series in a style that appeals to the people in one country, and lose out on virtually every other English-speaking country?

[Blackstar the Chakat]

Good point. And there's also the fact that even if it was mainstream in the US, that's one country. Do you really think it's a good idea to make a series in a style that appeals to the people in one country, and lose out on virtually every other English-speaking country?

It's at least two countrys. Japan and the US. But over there it was Mach Go Go Go. I'm going to have to look up it's distribution. I know it was seen in canada but I'm not sure about Europe.

[Sionnach Glic]

I'm talking about anime in general, rather than a single show, which is what this debate was about.
The point stands that even if anime can somehow be construed as mainstream in the US, there'd still be a massive loss of interest in Europe and Canada.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

Well, Mikey requested that I find a mainstream sci-fi anime series. That was what I was answering. Given this car's unrealistic abilities I think it qualifies as mainstream.

Making Star Trek anime, or any type of animation is stupid, we already established that.

Here are some things I found about it's distribution:

Beyond Speed Racer's appeal as an early anime, the series generally was for family entertainment and does not contain the deep intellectual conflicts or controversies seen in anime today. It can definitely be argued that the storylines in Speed Racer were more complicated than conventional American cartoons of the 1960s, but the overall purpose was to please a growing fanbase worldwide with exciting plots that involved facing adversity on the race track and beyond. While the Speed Racer which aired in the US was appropriate entertainment for the whole family, the original Mach Go Go Go episodes were extremely violent and underwent significant editing.

German television (airing Speed Racer from late 1971) f.e. had to stop the show after only the first three episodes, because parents were concerned about the violence displayed. Newspapers wrote quite negative reviews about the series, calling it "horror comic" and a "blood and collision racket".

And it's legacy(with some of the lamer stuff edited out):

Speed Racer, along with Astro Boy, was one of the first truly successful anime franchises in the United States. The pivotal episode in which Racer X reveals his identity to Speed ("The Trick Race") was selected by TV Guide as one of the most memorable moments in TV history. Many real-life race car drivers became fans of the show.

The title character was "interviewed" in a humorous series of promotional ads for auto racing that ran on ESPN. The Speed Racer characters also appeared in an animated television commercial for the Volkswagen GTI in 1996. In the ad, titled "Sabotage", Speed drives a GTI to victory after the Mach Five is disabled. The ad also incorporated the rotating freeze frame shot from the cartoon's opening sequence, with the GTI replacing the Mach Five in the shot.

Speed Racer was also featured in a 30 second advertisement for GEICO Insurance in 2004. In the ad, Speed is advised that the bridge is out ahead. That's bad news for Speed Racer, but Trixie, who transmitted the news to him that she saw in her helicopter, is more concerned with her good news about the GEICO savings. The next shot of Speed shows him struck dumb in bewildered astonishment.

In the 1977 film Slap Shot, after arriving at their hotel room in Charlestown, one of the Hanson Brothers ask when Speed Racer is broadcast in the city. It should be known that the Hansons, when they are not playing hockey, play with toy racecars.

The series was also revived on MTV for a short period of time in 1993, then moved to Cartoon Network in 1996, and again to its sister network Boomerang until 2005 after which, it was picked up by the SPEED Channel.

Among other cartoons and anime, Speed Racer was parodied in the Fairly Oddparents animated movie, Channel Chasers. A short segment of the film featured Timmy Turner taking a role similar to Speed's. Most characters during this segment parodied Speed Racer's fast dialogue and added exclamations such as "Hah! Hoo! Ha!" to the end of their lines, in the same vein as The Son Also Draws.

A clip from Robot Chicken includes a race similar to the Hanna-Barbara Wacky Races featuring several famous race characters including: Speed Racer, Knight Rider, Mario Kart, The Dukes of Hazzard, Batman, and so on. In the clip, Spritle and Chim Chim decide to do what they usually do when Speed enters a race and stow away in the Mach 5 to help Speed later. This time, though, their hiding place in the Mach 5's trunk is now occupied by what appears to be a dead prostitute, presumably hidden there by Speed himself. The clip goes on to mock the series' infamous limited animation, having Speed state that he "must remain perfectly still because animation is very expensive! Huh!"

Rapper Ghostface Killah uses scenes from Speed Racer for his music video for the song "Daytona 500".

[Sionnach Glic]

Given this car's unrealistic abilities I think it qualifies as mainstream.

How the hell do you jump from "unrealistic" to "mainstream"? Something is not mainstream by dint of being ridiculous.

*Snip first block of text*

All I gathered from that is that it's the Diet Coke of anime, and that it was cancelled in Germany after three shows. How does that make it mainstream?

*snippage of second block o' text*

All I gather from that bit is that it was extremely cheesey, cheap, was revived a couple times and parodied. Again, so what?

And what the hell kind of name is "Ghostface Killah"?

[Blackstar the Chakat]

Given this car's unrealistic abilities I think it qualifies as mainstream.

How the hell do you jump from "unrealistic" to "mainstream"? Something is not mainstream by dint of being ridiculous.

Huh...typo. I think I meant unrealistic abilities I think it qualifies as sci-fi

*Snip first block of text*

All I gathered from that is that it's the Diet Coke of anime, and that it was cancelled in Germany after three shows. How does that make it mainstream?

That it's violent nature kept it from being shown in Germany. I'm suggesting that this and similar reasons may have kept it from becoming well known in Europe.

*snippage of second block o' text*

All I gather from that bit is that it was extremely cheesey, cheap, was revived a couple times and parodied. Again, so what?

I'll ignore your cheesy and cheap comments as I belive the way you were using those were a personal opinion. As for revived part, would they revive it if it wasn't that good? They're making a very expensive live-action movie of it. Would they do that if the series wasn't good/popular?

And what the hell kind of name is "Ghostface Killah"?

He's a rapper. Nuff said.

[Aaron]

Hey, at least the Europeans have an excuss, but you live in Canada. I know they've shown Speed Racer up there.

Serriously, where's Mikey? I know he'd know what Speed Racer is.

Being shown in Canada does not mean that the average Canadian would have heard of it. Anime is a niche market here, with most people I talk to thinking that it's for losers.

And how does a cars abilities make the show mainstream?

[Blackstar the Chakat]

Hey, at least the Europeans have an excuss, but you live in Canada. I know they've shown Speed Racer up there.

Serriously, where's Mikey? I know he'd know what Speed Racer is.

Being shown in Canada does not mean that the average Canadian would have heard of it. Anime is a niche market here, with most people I talk to thinking that it's for losers.

I'd like to point out that Canada is hardly the norm when it comes to this stuff.

And how does a cars abilities make the show mainstream?

I just explained that was a typo. I meant to say it makes it sci-fi, which is what Mikey was asking for.

[Captain Seafort]

I'd like to point out that Canada is hardly the norm when it comes to this stuff.

In what way? And do you have supporting evidence for this?

[Aaron]

I'd like to point out that Canada is hardly the norm when it comes to this stuff.

Back that up.

I just explained that was a typo. I meant to say it makes it sci-fi, which is what Mikey was asking for.

You have yet to prove that it's even close to that.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

I'd like to point out that Canada is hardly the norm when it comes to this stuff.

Back that up.

Well, they speak french for starters. We're talking about english/japanese stuff.

I just explained that was a typo. I meant to say it makes it sci-fi, which is what Mikey was asking for.

You have yet to prove that it's even close to that.

The Sci-fi or mainstream part? For sci-fi it would be that the car puts out an unrealistic 5000 hp. Even the fastest accelerating car puts out about 1000 hp and has trouble with squealling tires. Even if you could build a car that can physically handle the torque the tires can't transfer that kind of power to the ground.

As for Mainstream, it is mainstream in the US which proves that mainstream Anime is possible, which was my point. Probable is a whole different issue.